NGE: The Pokemon Raising Project
by Arrancon
Summary: One's life changes forever when they receive their first Pokémon; Shinji Ikari was no exception. But with a hostile redhead as a traveling partner, and being thrust into a war for the Avia Region between two secret factions, maybe he should've just stayed in bed... Rated T for Action Violence, Peril and Language.
1. Stage 1: Press Start

**Hello readers!**

**Yes, you are seeing this correctly: a Neon Genesis Evangelion / Pokémon crossover. Crazy, right?**

**Just a head's up before you start reading: this isn't a retelling of the original NGE storyline with Pokémon sprinkled throughout. I wanted to make an alternate universe where the beloved characters of NGE live in a world inhabited by those classic Pocket Monsters. All you really need to like this story is a general understanding of Pokémon (ex. which one is which) and the personalities of the NGE characters (which I assume you already have, if you're reading this). I'll try not to go OOC, but a few characters may have a slightly different personality, like Rei. OC's are a possibility, though I only have one set in stone for an appearance. Well, that's if you could even _consider_ him an OC... I'll leave it up to you guys to decide when he debuts.**

**Oh, and I don't own NGE or Pokémon; those belong to Gainax, Hideki Anno, Game Freak, Nintendo, etc. I wish that I _did_, but oh well...**

**I'll shut up now, so I hope you enjoy NGE: The Pokémon Raising Project!**

* * *

"Shinji darling, breakfast!"

The boy opened his eyes at the sound of his mother's voice, rubbing the morning sand from them. Bright sunlight was shining through his window basking his bed in a heavenly light. The smell of fresh morning food wafted into his open room, an odor strong enough to lift the 14 year-old from his bed. He slid his legs over the side and fell into his slippers. Nice and cool, he thought with a smile, just how they should be.

Shinji Ikari wasn't used to smiling. All his life, he had encountered things that fell into the categories of heart-breaking and down-right unlucky. His father had mysteriously vanished only a few years after his birth, leaving his mother Yui to care for their son all by her lonesome at the small farm they called home. Shinji had never met the man, and felt nothing towards his existence. An appropriate emotion; how could one feel for someone they've never seen?

And then there was the incident last year, on this very day, that fell perfectly into the unlucky category. Shinji had stayed up the whole night before, full of excitement and unable to fall asleep. Of course, he overslept the next morning, and had missed out on the opportunity every child wished to have:

To receive their very first Pokémon.

Like every other child in the world, owning a Pokémon was the coolest thing possible. Many envisioned themselves becoming Gym Leaders, members of the Elite Four, or even as legendary as the icon of mystery himself, Red. But Shinji didn't want any of the fame or glory; all he wanted was a friend and companion to call his very own.

The age of 12 was when a child could receive their first Pokémon, as defined by the Global Trainers Union (the GTU, for short). However, the local town Professor, Ritsuko Akagi, believed that was too young an age, and stated she would only give Pokémon to a child of the age 14 or older. Last year, she had made a special exception for Shinji, being friends with his mother and all, and gave him an ultimatum: "Be at my lab on time, or you won't get your Pokémon." It was really more a test of responsibility than an ultimatum, but Shinji still failed miserably. This year, however, would be different. There was still a time to beat (the lab would close at 11 AM), but Shinji knew he could get there on time. Sure, he was still incredibly tired, but nothing breakfast and a shower couldn't remove…

Hearing the sounds of Pokémon, Shinji opened his bedside window and looked outside. It was a perfect view of their backyard; his mother's Miltank trio was grazing on the fresh green grass as a sole Tauros bull watched over their paddock. A flock of Pidgey sat on one side of the squared fence nestled together, but were soon scared away as the Tauros let out a bellow. Shinji couldn't help but smirk; the bovine Pokémon was just as extremely territorial as always.

"Shinji!" his mother called again from below, "You don't want to be late again this year! Hurry up!"

"Coming, mother!"

After quickly fixing his hair, Shinji rushed down the steps into the kitchen. His mom was sitting at the dining table with a cup of tea and a book. At her feet sat a Stoutland, which sat up as soon as it saw the young Ikari. The shaggy pet was the first Pokémon Yui had ever owned, having raised it since it was a Lilipup, and it had played with Shinji since he was a baby.

"Morning, buddy!" Shinji said, kneeling down to pet the dog-like Pokémon. His mother watched him with a smile.

"So, are you ready for today, Shinji?" Yui asked happily as he son sat down across from her at the table.

"Of course," the boy answered, "I just hope I make it in time this year, before Professor Akagi runs out of Pokémon."

"Oh, I wouldn't be too worried. After all the children that came last year, I'm pretty sure she has quite a few more Pokémon this time around. Do you know which one you'll choose?"

Shinji pondered for a moment. "Honestly, it doesn't really matter to me. I just want one of my very own."

"What, no favorites?" Yui raised an eyebrow at him.

"Well… _Torchic_ is kinda cool…"

"A Fire type? Hmm… I always thought you'd go for a Grass type, like Bulbasaur."

"Why's that?"

"Well, Grass types remind me of you. They're calm, quiet, peaceful… most of the time, that is. Fire types are unpredictable and dangerous; they usually need someone as hot-blooded as them for a partner."

"Like Asuka?"

Shinji couldn't have helped but bring up the fiery redhead from down the street as his mother described Fire types. Unpredictable and dangerous fit Asuka Langely Soryu to a T. For as long as he'd known her, which was about most of his life, Soryu had been a pleasant thorn in his side: a total bitch at times, but a cute one at that. She had helped him in many a fight, often standing up to older boys who picked on him, but usually beat on him herself in the end. Shinji didn't think of himself as a masochist, but her fists hurt good… they still hurt like hell, but he didn't mind them. He knew underneath the abuse, Asuka meant well (not that she'd ever say it to his face, that is).

Yui laughed, "Yes, _just_ like Asuka. Now eat your breakfast, Shinji, before it gets cold."

After quickly eating his breakfast, Shinji rushed back upstairs and into the shower, thinking about how his life was going to change today. As the water fell down on him, he closed his eyes as he drifted into an imaginary world of his future, with his soon to be first Pokémon…

* * *

_"Shinji! Shinji!"_

_"Gah!"_ Shinji sat up in a panic as the loud yelling voice of his mother echoed in the bathroom, bouncing off the shower walls. He stood up, breathing heavily when he heard something that he so desperately wished he hadn't.

"_You're going to be late!"_

"_OH CRAP!"_ He couldn't believe it: he had actually _fallen asleep_ in the shower! But for how long?

"Hurry up!" his mother yelled, "You only have ten minutes before Prof. Akagi shuts her doors!"

"_T-TEN MINUTES?!"_

In a blur, the drenched and naked Shinji dashed out of the bathroom past his mother and into his room, a trail of water following behind him. After throwing on some random clothes (that surprisingly matched), the boy ran down the stairs, almost tripping over his own feet.

"Don't forget you backpack!" his mother called down to him from the second floor, "I put everything you'll need in it!"

"I'll come back for it!" Shinji responded as he went out the door, leaving his mom in the house alone. Yui stood at the open door and watched her son run off down the street. Her Stoutland trudged up beside her and gave a low bark.

"Yeah," Yui said, "I knew he'd be late somehow, too."

* * *

Shinji's house was located just outside of Merganser Town, a small community in a wooded area. A short, winding forest path connected the two locations, and took about ten minutes to walk. At the speed Ikari was running at, he'd finish it in at least five, giving him another five minutes to reach Prof. Akagi's lab in the center of town. As he ran through the woods, wild Pokémon were just beginning in their daily activities. A troop of monkey-like Aipoms swung from the branches above, while Deerlings and Sawsbucks foraged through the underbrush, their coats and antlers in their flowery Spring forms. Shinji almost tripped over a Sandshrew that had burrowed itself into the dirt road, jumping over the Ground type as it lifted itself up from a nap.

"Almost there!" Shinji panted as Merganser Town came into view. The town gate, a large marble sculpture of two Dragonair arching towards each other, was open and awaiting Shinji's entrance. The boy didn't even pause to admire the impressive artistry as he made a bee line down Main Street, straight towards Prof. Akagi's lab.

"I can see it!" Shinji grinned as the building came into view, "I'm gonna make it!"

"Yo there, Prof!" a familiar voice called up from ahead, "What took ya so long? Sleep in again?"

"_Not now, guys…"_ Shinji groaned as he saw his friends Toji Suzuhara and Kensuke Aida standing at the street side ahead. The due were dressed in their usual getup; a black track jacket for Toji and a white shirt and glasses for Aida. However, Shinji noticed something different about them: each had a single Pokéball hanging from their waist.

"Wherddya think yer goin?!" Toji yelled as Ikari ran past, waving his fist at him, "We was gonna show ya our Pokémon , ya jerk!"

"Sorry guys, can't stop! Have to get mine before the lab closes!"

"Wha- _Ha-ha-ha!_" Suzhuhara burst into a laugh, "Ya hear dat, Kensuke? Da Prof slept in again!"

"Can't catch a break huh, Ikari?" Kensuke snickered.

Shinji didn't even stop to respond, not that they deserved it. He just kept sprinting towards Prof. Akagi's lab, closing in fast. He narrowly missed colliding with a woman and her newly groomed Matron-trim Furfrou before stumbling through the automatic lab doors of his destination.

Catching his breath, Shinji looked around the lab, taking in all the electronic dashboards and computers lining the walls. The many desks were covered in papers and books of research data in some sort of collected chaos. In the back corner of the room lay a Liepard, curled up in a large cat bed. The slender Dark-type opened its one eye when it sensed Shinji watching it, but quickly closed it when it didn't sense a threat.

"Why, hello there, Shinji!" a happy voice said, "It's nice to see you made it this year!"

Shinji looked to see a blonde haired woman dressed in a lab coat and blue sweater standing across the room with hands folded behind her back, smiling at him. He recognized her immediately as Professor Ritsuko Akagi, having met her on numerous occasions at his mother's house parties. Before Shinji could answer, he noticed that there was someone else there, standing by Prof. Akagi, someone else he recognized.

Recognized _too_ well, that is.

Her back was turned to him, her face covered by her long, red hair. She was wearing her favorite yellow dress, which right now revealed a great portion of her long legs as she bent over looking at something. She stood up straight in a flash as the name "Shinji" finally went through her ears.

"Well, well, well," the girl sneered, turning her face towards Ikari with hands on her hips, "Baka Shinji's late again! Did _mommy_ forget to wake you up?"

"A-Asuka," Shinji stammered, "I don't know what you're talking about. I am on time… _right?"_ He looked to Prof. Akagi desperately.

"Well," the blonde said, looking at her watch, "You've got about a minute to spare, so I'd say you are."

"Not that it matters," Asuka smirked, stepping to the side. She gestured to a round metallic table, with spherical dips arranged in a circle, "Because the Professor is all out of Pokémon!"

"Wh-what…" Shinji's expression plummeted as he looked at the empty table, "Y-you can't be… _oh, no…" _He fell to his knees, his fists shaking. "I knew this would happen… _I knew it!"_

"Oh, Shinji," Prof. Akagi knelt down by the boy, placing a tender hand on his shoulder, "There's no need to be sad… Sure, I'm all out of Pokémon for you to choose from, but that doesn't mean there isn't one I can't _give_ to you…"

"H-huh?" Ikari looked up at the Professor, confused, "What do you mean, _give_ me?"

"What are you, _stupid?"_ Asuka rolled her eyes, "She means that she has one _set aside_ for you. God, sometimes I can't comprehend your idiocracy, you… _W-wait, what?!"_

Prof. Akagi smiled at the girl, then to Shinji. "I had a feeling Shinji here might be late again, so I made sure to have a special Pokémon reserved just for him. One that I think he would just love to have."

"B-but," Soryu looked at the Pokéball in her hand, "I thought I got the last one? …Because, you know, you saved the _best for last?_ Right?"

"Don't worry, you're Pokémon is special too." Ritsuko stood up and walked towards her desk, "Think of Shinji getting the last one as, well… a _safety net_ for him."

"… By the way, Asuka," Shinji said, back on his feet, "What Pokémon did you choose?"

"_Hmph,"_ Asuka closed her eyes with a smug smile, "The _smartest, cutest_ and _best one,_ of course. Just like me!" She tossed her Pokéball into the air, the sphere opening with a bright white light. "Come on out, _Torchic!"_

Shinji watched in amazement as a small, orange bird formed from the light on the lab floor. Its beady black eyes studied him for a moment before it scuttled over to its proud owner a few feet away and jumped into her arms.

"Isn't it the greatest Pokémon you've ever seen?" Asuka gloated, shoving the Torchic straight into Shinji's face, "This little guy's gonna help me become the greatest trainer of all time! Not that I'm not _already_, but still, you're looking at the future _Avia Region Champion_, Baka Shinji! Aren't you _jealous?"_

Shinji rolled his eyes, patting the Fire-type Pokémon on the head. "Not really. I don't want to become Champion, Asuka. I just want to make friends." Disgusted, the redhead yanked her Pokémon away from Ikari and pulled it to her chest, squeezing the eyeballs from its head in a tight hug.

"Of course, only _you_ can say something so stupid, Baka Shinji… You're such a wimp!"

"Now Asuka," Prof. Akagi was returning towards the two with a Pokéball in hand, "Just because Shinji doesn't want to be a dedicated Pokémon trainer, it doesn't make him a wimp. He'd just rather bond with Pokémon in a different way, that's all." The blonde smiled and turned to Shinji, holding out her hand. "Here you are, Shinji. Your Pokémon's waiting for you."

'_My Pokémon…'_ Ikari nervously reached out towards the Pokéball before his eyes, his hands shaking from excitement. He couldn't believe this was happening! But the big question remained: what kind of Pokémon was it?

Asuka watched him anxiously; she was just as curious as to what Pokémon was inside the sphere as Shinji was. _'As long as it isn't a Water-type,'_ she thought, _'Or Rock or Ground for that matter… I can't let him douse my flames… That'd be so embarrassing, I'd just die…'_

"Well, Shinji," Prof. Akagi urged the boy, who was staring at the Pokéball in his hands, "Why don't you say hello to your Pokémon?"

"O-okay," Ikari looked at the sphere one last time before tossing it into the air. "Come on out… my Pokémon!"

The Pokéball cracked open, just as Asuka's had, and a creature began forming in the white light. This one had the shape of a small bipedal canine, with round floppy ears and a big head. The Pokémon landed with a Superman pose, one fist planted on the floor and head up. It was mostly blue, with grey arms and legs. A pair of big, red eyes focused on Shinji, its new owner.

"_A Riolu!"_ Ikari shouted in glee, "Oh my God, I – _I can't believe it!"_

Asuka let out a sigh of relief as the boy rushed over to his new Pokémon. Fire and Fighting were neutral type matchups now, but she knew very well that when Riolu evolved it would gain Steel typing, giving her a big advantage. Still, deep down Asuka was glad to see Shinji this happy; she never saw enough of his stupid smile.

"Well," the red head smirked, "Now we know who's got the better Pokémon. Isn't that right, Baka Shinji?"

Shinji ignored her bragging as he hoisted his Riolu into the air with a big grin. "Hey buddy. My name's Shinji. We're gonna have a lot of fun, you and me. Just you wait."

The Riolu smiled and nodded, then placed its hand on Ikari's forehead. A strange sensation began to flow through Shinji's body, as if the Pokémon was synchronizing with him.

"Wh-what's he doing, Professor?" the boy asked, his eyes locked with Riolu's. No matter how much he tried, he couldn't avert his gaze from the Pokémon.

"Riolu is the Emanation Pokémon," Ritsuko explained, "It and its evolved form, Lucario the Aura Pokémon, are tied closely with the emotions and thoughts of humans and Pokémon alike. Yours here is reading your own aura, Shinji, so he can detect your presence from anywhere. He's devoting himself to you, Shinji; you'll be partners for life from this day on."

'_For… life?'_ Shinji thought. To his surprise, Riolu nodded slightly; had the Pokémon heard his thought? _'Did you… read my mind, Riolu?'_

'…**Yes.'**

"_GAH!"_ the sudden voice in Shinji's head caused him to jump. Asuka gave him a look of complete and utter confusion.

"Uhh, Baka Shinji… What the hell was _that?"_

"I- I heard his voice!" Ikari squeaked, pointing at the innocent Riolu, its head tilted to the side, "In my head! He _spoke_ to me, Askua!"

Silence, then laughter. The red head fell to the ground in tears, trying to catch her breath. Her Torchic squirmed out from under her, having been squashed by her falling body. "Oh my God! I can't believe it! He's finally lost his mind!"

"I wouldn't be so quick to judge, Askua," Prof. Akagi interrupted, "Trainers with Riolu and Lucario have reported intense mental communication over time, usually after many years of partnership. But for Shinji to make this claim now, so soon… I'm genuinely surprised."

Slowly, Shinji looked back at Riolu. The Pokémon stood smirking at him with folded arms. **'Do my abilities frighten you, Baka-Shinji?'**

'_No, they don't- wait, __**what**__ did you call me?!'_

'**Baka Shinji. Is that not a term of endearment?'**

'_No; that's just Askua's stupid nickname for me.'_

'**But does she not care for you?'**

"_Yeah… but not like that. I don't think so, at least. I don't really know, honestly.'_

'**Ah, I see. You humans are very odd creatures, Shinji.'**

'_I guess your right about that…'_

"Hey!" Soryu interrupted the mental conversation, jabbing her finger into the back of Shinji's neck, "What're you two conversing about?! It better not be _me!"_

Shinji sighed, rolling his eyes. "Even if we were, it's not like you could _stop us."_

"Oh, so that's what you think. Well then, allow me to take control of your mind… _through my fists!"_

The redhead pounced on Shinji, wailing on his body with her hands and feet. The poor boy didn't stand a chance; he was a helpless deer, ambushed from nowhere by a ferocious tigress. Shinji's pleas to stop soon turned into laughs as a smile spread across his face; he was actually enjoying this! Asuka seemed to be playing along, a sadistic grin forming as she slapped Ikari around. Prof. Akagi couldn't help but laugh at the two children, thrashing about on her floor. Riolu and Torchic, however, were greatly confused at the scene, trading puzzled glances with each other as their owners flailed about. No one even noticed the two figures walking into the lab, a Pokéball at each of their waists.

"Well, if it ain't da _married couple!"_ Toji Suzhuhara proclaimed as he and Kensuke walked onto the scene, "Havin' anudda lover's quarrel, eh, Prof?"

"More like a brawl, if you ask me," Aida added, "But shouldn't you two be using your Pokémon to fight each other with now? It only makes sense, if you ask me…"

Askua stood up, and shoved her finger into Toji and Kensuke's chests. "Why would I sully my precious Pokémon's reputation by battling Baka Shinji? You two really are that stupid."

"Is dat so?" Toji smirked, "If we're dat stupid, I bet you an' the Prof could wipe da floor wit us in a _Pokémon battle_, right?"

"Team up? With _Baka Shinji?_ In your dreams."

Riolu shot a wary glance at Shinji. **'Do her words not bother you?'**

'_Eh, I'm used to it.'_ Ikari shrugged.

As Asuka turned her back to the boys, Aida gave Toji a quick wink; he knew just how to get these two to battle together.

"Oh well, Toji," the geeky boy shrugged, his voice loud and slow, "I guess Asuka's just afraid of _losing _to a _couple of nobody's_ like us. _What a shame- ACK!"_

Losing: Asuka hated the word, in all its forms. Nobody called her a loser.

_**NOBODY.**_

Seething, she held a death grip on Aida's shirt color, her eyes covered in a sinister shadow. "You want a battle… _you got it." _

Victorious, Toji and Kensuke gave each other a low fist bump where Soryu couldn't see. "Now dat's more like it," Suzuhara said, Pokéball in hand, "How 'bout we do dis _here an' now?"_

This sent Prof. Akagi into a panic. She was not prepared for a Pokémon battle, let alone a _Double battle_, to erupt inside her lab where all her years of research could be put in danger. "Whoa now, you guys! How about you all take this outside so there isn't too much _collateral damage_."

"Eh, fine with me," Toji shrugged, "Doesn't matta where we battle, though, 'cause me an' Kensuke'll still whoop deir asses!"

Soryu looked at her Torchic, and then at Shinji; the boy actually looked more nervous than the Pokémon did! "I hope you two are ready, because you're about to have your first Pokémon battle! …Oh, and if we lose, Baka Shinji," Asuka knelt down in front of Shinji, an evil smile on her face, "You won't be laughing the next time I pummel you."

Ikari gulped, and looked at Riolu, who smiled confidently at him. **'Do not worry, Shinji. We **_**will**_** win.'**

'_But I'm not ready for this yet! I never wanted to battle in the first place!'_

'**Life has its many turns, Shinji. Just trust in me, and we will succeed.'**

'…_I hope you're right, Riolu…'_

* * *

**_Next Stage:_**

_The First Battle!_

_Shinji and Asuka vs. Toji and Kensuke! _


	2. Stage 2: You Can (not) Back Down

**I just want to give a big thank you to everyone who's following this story!**** Your support means a lot to me, and I promise not to disappoint.**

* * *

On one side of the field, Toji Suzuhara and Kensuke Aida eyed down their opponents from afar, both looking quite confident. The two had been devising a strategy for the past half hour, and knew that victory was certain, mostly because they knew that their opponents couldn't work as a team even if the world depended on it.

Across from the boys standing in front the lab of Prof. Akagi were Shinji Ikari and Asuka Langely Soryu with their Pokémon at their heels. They were quite the odd couple; the girl stood with hands on her hips, beaming with arrogance, while the boy looked like a Bug-type stuck in a Quiver Dance. Ikari shot nervous looks at his wrist where a sleek, high-tech device had been clipped on about half an hour ago. The events in which Prof. Akagi's described this item to him echoed in his head.

* * *

"Now, before you battle," Ritsuko said to Shinji and Asuka as she searched through a steel cabinet. She removed two clear boxes from within, each with a futuristic, watch-like device inside, "You'll both need one of these."

"What are they?" Shinji studied the glass cases as Asuka rolled her eyes.

"You _**can't**_ be serious, Baka-Shinji," the redhead spat, "You've really never seen a Pokégear before?"

"… No?"

"God, you're such a shut-in. Have you ever left your house in the past five years? They're _**only**_ the most important thing a trainer can have!"

Prof. Akagi adjusted her glasses with a sly smile. "Well then, Asuka, if you know so much about the Pokégear, how about you explain to Shinji what they do yourself?"

Soryu paused under the sudden spotlight, caught off guard and stammering. "…Uh, _well_, the Pokégear has a, _you know_, a built in Pokédex and an, _**um**_, Item Finder, and a, uh… I'm really only up-to-date on the _2013_ version, actually. So I might be a _little rusty_ on this year's newest features."

"I'd say you're a little rusty on _all_ the versions, Asuka," the professor giggled, much to Soryu's embarrassment, "The Pokégear does indeed contain an Item Finder and a Pokédex, but also does much more. One of the most important things this device can do is check the moves and abilities of any Pokémon owned by a trainer, as well as store the data from Technical and Hidden Machines needed to teach a Pokémon a move. It's not just useful for battle purposes, however. It also keeps track of your funds, your location and of course, the time, just as any watch should."

"This thing is pretty cool," Shinji said, taking a purple and green Pokégear from Ritsuko, "How much?"

"It's free of charge!" the blonde laughed, "Every trainer is required to have one, and it would be cruel to keep the opportunity from those without money."

"Well, aren't you lucky Baka-Shinji!" Asuka flicked Ikari in the ear, "No penny-pinching for you!" When the arrogant redhead went to take her Pokégear from Prof. Akagi, she looked at the blue and gold device with disgust. "…Do you have one in red?"

* * *

"Are the trainer's ready for battle!"

Shinji snapped out of his thoughts as Prof. Akagi stood in the center of the battlefield, looking at both pairs of trainers. The crowd around them had grown quite substantially since he had last looked at it, Still somewhat out of it, Ikari saw Toji and Aida nod their heads in approval, as did Asuka. When Akagi turned to Shinji, he froze up. This was going way too fast, he wasn't ready for this yet! He hadn't even received Riolu an hour ago, for God's sake!

"Shinji?" the professor asked tenderly; she could tell the boy wasn't feeling so hot about this. "Are you feeling alright?"

"_Hey!_ _Earth to Shinji!" _Asuka snapped, "Give her an answer! We're _waiting!_"

Riolu, sensing his master's distress, pulled on his pant leg to get his attention. **'Shinji? What is the matter?'**

No answer from Ikari; his mind was blank.

'**I told you we would be alright. Do you not… believe in me?' **The normally strong voice sounded quite fragile and hurt to Shinji.

'_I… I do, Riolu. But I don't… I… __**I can't…!'**_

Shinji was in panic mode now: There had to be some way out of this, something to make the pressure stop. Everyone was staring at him: Riolu, Toji, Aida, the Professor, Asuka… The faces in the crowd were the worst. He didn't even know any of them, and they expected him to entertain them! Why should he have to do that? Shinji had only one option, and by God he was going to take it.

"_I can't do this!"_The crowd gasped as Ikari unexpectedly dashed into the lab behind him, the doors closing shut on his heels. An awkward silence fell over the spectators as everyone tried to understand what had just happened.

"Aww, sheesh," Suzuhara sighed, "Da Prof performs his signature escapin' act once again…"

"_***cough**_*-_Called it_-_***cough*"**_ Kensuke feigned, pretending to clear his throat.

"_Shinji!"_ Asuka yelled furiously. She couldn't believe it. How dare that Baka-Shinji run out on her like that! _"You coward__**!**_ Get back here and fight with me! _HEY!"_

Stricken, Riolu plopped down on the grass with his head held low. **'Had I done something wrong?'** he projected his mental voice to Torchic who stood beside him.

'**Hey, don't look at me, man,'** the Fire type answered, ruffling his feathers, **'I barely understand my **_**own**_** trainer.'**

Riolu looked at his fellow Pokémon's trainer with confusion. This girl, Asuka he believed her name was, was so abusive to Shinji, yet her aura didn't match her actions. The Pokémon had decided to tap in on her aura when she had been berating and beating his trainer out of curiosity, to see just what she was feeling at the moment. What Riolu detected was not a harsh red cloud of aggression, but a soft pink mist of… _Tenderness? Affection?_ It was hard for him to make out, for at its center was a pitch black spot of depression and emptiness that fluctuated constantly. What kinds of emotions did this girl have about Shinji, and why did he put up with her antics?

The Pokémon put its thoughts on hold when it saw Prof. Akagi approach Asuka. The older woman put her hand on the redhead's shoulder and gestured towards her lab. "Go talk to him, Asuka."

"_What?! Why me?"_ Soryu sounded completely appalled by the suggestion, "He should figure out his own problems by _himself _for once!"

"If you know Ikari as well as I think you do, then you know that isn't a possibility. Besides, how are you going to win this battle without a _partner?_"

"….I'm only going to do this so I can win, just so you know. _Not_ because I care about Baka-Shinji; I couldn't _give_ less of a crap about his _emo-issues_."

"Sure, sure," Prof. Akagi murmured with a smirk as the girl went into the lab, "Whatever helps you sleep at night, Asuka…"

* * *

'_Stupid Baka-Shinji!'_ Asuka thought as she gazed around the dark laboratory trying to find her coward. With all the desks and high stacks of boxes and supplies, he could be anywhere in here. Why did he have to be so good at hiding? Asuka remembered how she and Shinji used to play hide-and-seek as kids; it was the only time she would ever lose to him at anything. There were times when she never thought she'd find the boy, and she actually _cried_ once thinking she had lost him forever. Asuka still remembered the words he said to her after he came out of hiding and hugged her:

"_Don't worry, Asuka. I'll never go away…"_

She couldn't help but smile a little when she recalled Shinji's ridiculous claim. He really was an idiot if he thought she'd take those words to heart. So then, _by chance_, if she actually did believe him, and _still did_, would that make her an idiot too?

'…_You're such an idiot…'_

The sound of purring from across the room caught Asuka's attention. Walking softly, she stumbled upon the Professor's Liepard standing in a corner, studying a Shinji in the fetal position. His head was turned to the floor, refusing to acknowledge the feline Pokémon beside him. The pitiful sight disgusted Asuka, but reminded her of Ikari's true personality.

"Hey," Soryu ordered, her sudden voice making the Liepard jump and slink away, "Get your ass up, Baka-Shinji. They're waiting for us."

"…I'm not doing it."

"_Wha-!"_ Asuka couldn't believe his stubbornness. Who the hell did he think he was telling her what he would and would not do?! "Look me in the eyes _right now,_ you coward!_ What did you say to me?!"_

Still refusing to lift his head, Shinji repeated himself. "I'm not doing it, Asuka. I don't _ever_ want to battle. I didn't come for a Pokémon to _fight_ other people."

"That's what people with Pokémon do, you idiot! It's the whole purpose of owning a Pokémon in the _first place!"_

"That's what _you_ think Asuka… But you're _wrong_."

Shinji's back slammed up against the wall, his head bouncing forward. Asuka held a death grip on his collar, her snarling face only inches from his.

"Say it again, _I dare you!"_ The Professor's Liepard across the room flinched at the girl's shriek and slunk into a corner. "What makes you think you can accuse me of _anything?!_"

Ikari swallowed hard. He hadn't seen Asuka this genuinely angry in a long time, if ever. _'Just tell her off',_ he thought, '_While you're both alone. What's the worst that can happen? Broken bones? Missing eye? Death? Okay, that is pretty bad… __**No!**__ I'm doing this, no backing out! I gotta be strong just this once!'_

"…Because," he stammered, thinking of the words. No yelling, no aggression; that'll only make this situation worse. "Pokémon aren't _tools for battle_, Asuka. They're creatures with _feelings and souls_, just like _us_… All they want from us is _friendship and love_, and if we give it to them they'll return it right back by doing well in battle. It doesn't even have to be in battle; a Pokémon who loves you will stay by your side through thick and thin, no matter what. That's all I want, Asuka: Someone who will always be there for me…"

Asuka was speechless. Was this how he really felt? She always thought he was a pansy, and she was only half right. Shinji was more alone than anything. Sure, he had many friends, but none of them were really close to him… other than her, that is. Asuka saw herself as his crutch that would strike back to smack him into shape. But did he not see her in the same light? Did Shinji not think she genuinely cared about him?

Even worse: Did he not feel for her in the same way she did him?

If that was the case, Asuka wouldn't know what to do. They'd been friends for so long now, almost a decade. Was that all Shinji saw them as? Comrades? She couldn't just ask him; it would be too awkward and unlike her to do so. She might never find out the truth, but until the day she did, Asuka would not give up on him and his stupid smile.

"Asuka? You okay?" Ikari asked worriedly; the girl had fallen silent for almost a minute now, staring at the floor.

"…Look," Soryu muttered, barely audible, "I get it now. Just… don't give me another sappy speech like that again. Got it?"

Shinji nodded his head as she continued. "Now, you were just talking about someone who would always be there for you, right?"

"Uh… yeah?"

"Well, right now," Asuka tried not to choke on the words, "I… _need you_ to battle with me. I can't do it alone, and you're the only help I can get. So why don't you man-up and do yourself a favor by battling with me?"

Ikari's eyes tried to avoid hers; her words were strong but he still wasn't sure about battling yet. What if he screwed up and Riolu got terribly hurt? He could just go out there and embarrass himself in front of the whole town! "I… I don't know, Askua. I don't think I'll be any good at it-"

And then the unexpected happened. Shinji felt his hand being squeezed tightly, and saw that Asuka's own hand was the cause of it. He looked at her and saw her face staring into his with desperate, begging eyes.

"_Please,_ Shinji," she whispered tenderly, "Do this for _me_."

Shinji's face went as red as a thermometer at her words. This wasn't right; Asuka was incapable of being delicate, let alone saying _please_ to him! This had to be a ruse; there was no way the redhead would act like this without an ulterior motive. Did she really want to battle so badly? But how could he refuse her now, with her soft blue eyes looking right at him? No matter how much he tried to deny it she was still a girl, and a cute one at that.

"…_Fine."_ Ikari answered, turning his face from her, "Just give me a minute, then we'll go battle. I promise."

"Thanks," Asuka smiled. Her cheerful expression soon turned to a dark grin. "And if you tell _anyone _about this, Baka-Shinji, you'll be chasing your ass into next week. _Understood?_"

"Yeah, yeah…"

* * *

"I wonder what they're doing in there…" Kensuke mused aloud, his question the same as the one on everybody's mind in the crowd around him. It hadn't been very long, but some of the townspeople were beginning to grow impatient; they had their own things to do instead of waiting for a battle that may never happen. The only one who seemed content was Prof. Akagi, who seemed certain that the two children inside her lab were settling the matter.

Toji shrugged at his friend. "Da hell if I know, man. Asuka coulda just gone in der an killed da poor guy. Probably buryin' his body right now as we speak."

"I don't think Asuka's capable of murder, Toji."

"Eh, ya never know about the crazy ones, Kensuke. One minute der actin' all nice an' normal, den da next they bashin' ya skull in wit a baseball bat wrapped in barbwire… Ta tell ya da truth, I don't really get what Ikari sees in dat Soryu chick. How can he hang around wit such a _hot headed, permanently menustratin' witch_ like her?"

"W-why don't y-you ask her yourself?" Aida pointed a shaking finger across the battlefield at the girl in question who not only had returned with Shinji in tow, but had just heard _every word_ Suzuhara had said.

_Every. Single. Word._

"Imma dead man, ain't I?" Toji gulped, on the verge of dropping a Golem in his pants.

Asuka cracked her knuckles, every pop causing Toji's eye to twitch. "Not until _after_ our battle. Then you're going to wanna run very,_ very, _far away."

As the girl continued to intimidate her prey, Riolu approached Shinji who smiled lightly at his Pokémon.

'_Hey,'_ Ikari knelt down closer to Riolu, speaking with his thoughts, _'I'm really sorry about earlier. I was just nervous about this whole battling thing, that's all.'_

'_**Understandable,'**_Riolu responded_, __**'At first, I believed I was to blame for your doubt, but then realized I was, in a way, nervous as well.'**_

'_Really? Why did you think it was your fault? You didn't do anything even close to making me feel worried.'_

'_**I thought maybe I was putting pressure on you by telling you we would win, and that if we didn't I'd be disappointed in you. But now I know that is not the case, and never will be. Right?'**_

Shinji nodded and ruffled the fur on Riolu's head, _'Right, buddy. Now let's have ourselves a battle.'_

Having waited for the boy and his Pokémon to finish communicating, Prof. Akagi approached him and Asuka, quite satisfied that they were on the same page. "It's good to see that you're up and ready for battle, Shinji. What exactly did Asuka say to you that changed your mind?"

"_Uhh…"_ Ikari glanced at Asuka from the corner of his eye; her threatening expression told him that the truth would get him killed. "Well, you know… She's a hard person to refuse, that's all."

"I think I understand what you mean," the Professor smiled, "Now let's not keep these people waiting any longer. I'll give you and Asuka a moment to think of a plan before we start the battle."

After Akagi wished the two of them luck, Asuka turned to her partner and poked him in the chest. "_Listen up_, Baka-Shinji."

"You've already got a plan?"

"_Don't interrupt me!_ How can I tell you it if you keep flapping your lips like an idiot?"

"…Sorry, I guess."

"_Damn right_ you're sorry. Now, all you and Riolu need to do in this battle is sit back until Torchic and I need you, which I doubt will happen anyways. _Got it?"_

"But aren't we supposed to be a _team?_ Isn't that the whole reason you wanted us to battle _together_ in the first place?"

"Stupid, stupid Shinji…" Soryu leaned in close and grabbed him by the shirt and whispered, "You think I want everybody here to see I need _your_ help with this? Now shut up and be good, _quiet_ backup, and I won't hurt you."

Ikari swallowed hard; this was Asuka at her scariest. How quick she could change her personality!

'_**Please tell me,'**_ Riolu asked Torchic, scratching his head in puzzlement, _**'Is there something wrong with your trainer? Mentally, I mean.'**_

The little Fire type yawned loudly; he was getting impatient and was ready for a good fight. _**'Like I told ya before, I know nothing more than you do. She could be downright insane for all I know. I don't really care if she dresses me in bows or cooks me up for dinner, I just want to battle.'**_

'…_**Are you serious about the bows and getting eaten?'**_

'_**Nah. That probably would suck.'**_

"Let's try this again…" Prof. Akagi muttered, back in the center of the battlefield, "I apologize for the wait, everybody; Shinji had to use the little boy's room-

"_That's not what happened!"_

"…But now I think we can finally get this underway. So, once again, are the trainers and their Pokémon ready for battle?"

The modestly sized crowd let out a good loud cheer for the competitors. Shinji looked around at their faces and noticed that some were chanting his name. He couldn't believe it; these people were rooting for him! They had confidence in him and believed he could actually win!

Riolu couldn't help but smile as he felt the gleeful aura coming from his master. The Pokémon wasn't the only one enjoying Shinji's rare moment of happiness. Asuka let out a mental sigh of relief, glad that her idiot wasn't sulking for once. If only he could be this sure of himself all of the time, she might treat him differently…

"I hope da married couple's ready ta lose!" Toji taunted, throwing his Pokéball into the air, "Go, _Oshawott!_"

Aida followed his partner's action and tossed his Pokéball as well. "Show them who's in charge, _Bulbasaur!_"

The boys' Pokéballs broke open to reveal two creatures. The first was a blue and white otter-like Water-type with a scallop on its chest, which it pulled off and prepared to wield in battle. Its companion was a green spotted frog with a large seed on its back. Two long vines protruded from the parasite-like bulb and cracked the air.

"_Piece of cake!"_ Asuka laughed, pointing forward dramatically as her Pokémon dashed into battle, "Get 'em, _Torchic_!"

Without a word, Shinji nodded to Riolu and the Fighting type jumped into the filed beside Torchic, taking an offensive stance. '_So this isbattle,_' he thought, _'It's not that scary at all… This is actually kinda exciting!'_ The moment had finally come: Shinji Ikari was in his first ever Pokémon battle and he was more ready than ever to win.

Hand raised in the air and standing out of the line of fire, Prof Akagi brought her arm down fast and yelled the heavily anticipated words:

"_Let the battle begin!"_

* * *

Far away, hidden in the shadow of the forest, a masked figure dressed in a black cloak observed the beginning match. He had planned on making his strike earlier, but had become intrigued by the children involved, specifically the boy who had tried to back out. And now, the cloaked would-be saboteur decided to hold off, just to see if this boy had inherited any battling skills from his parents.

"Such a strange boy you are, _Shinji Ikari._ Very strange indeed…"

* * *

_**Next Stage:**_

_The Battle Begins!... For Real, This Time!_

_Shinji and Asuka vs. Toji and Kensuke!_


	3. Stage 3: Battle Like You Want To Win!

**Another big thanks to all my followers and reviewers who enjoy this story! I promised a Pokémon battle before, and I present it to you now :)**

* * *

"_Let the battle begin!"_

The words shouted by Prof. Akagi signaling the match's start were ringing in Shinji's head. This was it, the battle had begun! The crowd was cheering, the competitors were pumped, and he couldn't be more excited! What was going to happen? Who was going to make the first move? _What..._

_What the heck was he supposed to do?!_

'_Oh man oh man oh man!'_ Shinji's hand was shaking now. In his eagerness, he hadn't even pondered exactly _how_ to battle. Sure, he'd seen matches on T.V before, but he never had to call the shots before!

"_HEY!" _

He cringed at Asuka's sudden yelling, snapping out of his trance of panic. Looking ahead, he saw Toji's Oshawott charging towards Riolu, its scallop in hand and ready to attack. The little Fighting-type looked at his master expectantly, desperately waiting for a command.

"I don't know what to do!" Shinji flailed his arms in frustration, receiving an eye roll from Asuka.

"You idiot…" the girl pointed to own Pokémon, "_Torchic!_ Cover Riolu!"

The Fire type obliged and leapt into the Oshawott, knocking it away with a Peck attack. As the Water type skidded away, Aida's Bulbasaur whipped its long vines at Torchic, keeping the little bird away from its partner. Riolu nodded in thanks to his teammate and returned his gaze to Shinji.

"Whazza matter, Prof?!" Suzuhara yelled from across the field, "Need yo _girlfriend_ to battle for ya?"

Ignoring Toji's jabbing with a groan, Asuka grabbed Shinji by the wrist and shoved the Pokégear attached to it in his face. "Just aim this at Riolu and tell him to use a move! _Now!_"

"Okay, okay! Jeesh…" Ikari pressed a small button on the side of the Pokégear. The device began to power up, and a light blue hologram menu beamed up from its center yellow circle. Deciding to stare at it in awe later, Shinji pointed his wrist towards Riolu and watched as the hologram traced over his Pokémon's form. Charts and lists began to open in front of his eyes, showcasing the Fighting type's many attributes from his base stats to his Pokédex entry. His eyes scanning over the technical material, Shinji caught sight of a square area illuminated in white near the bottom of the screen; within it were the moves and ability of his Riolu.

'_Let's see,'_ Ikari pondered, quickly looking over the Pokémon's techniques, _'His Ability is Steadfast, and his Moves are Quick Attack, Endure, Counter, and Bullet Punch… Wait, isn't that Scizor's move?'_ He remembered seeing a match on T.V the other day with the red Steel-Bug type using that fast-punching move against an Avalugg, sealing the match in its trainer's favor. How did his Riolu know such a powerful attack? _'Well, no harm in using it…'_

"Riolu!" the boy commanded, "Use Bullet Punch on Oshawott!"

The Pokémon nodded at his master and leapt towards his target, his fists turning a deep silver. Before Oshawott realized what was happening, Riolu released a barrage of metal punches unto his body. To Shinji's surprise the otter Pokémon took the assault quite well, showing almost no signs of damage other than a few light bruises.

"I- it barely hurt him!" Ikari said dumbfounded, "Why?!"

"Learn the type chart, Baka-Shinji!" Asuka snapped, annoyed by his stupidity, "Steel type moves suck against a Water type, you idiot!"

"What?!" Shinji started to answer until he saw Aida's Bulbasaur begin to make a move towards his Pokémon, "_Riolu, look out!"_

'**Wha- Whoa!' **Riolu could barely react as one of Bulbasaur's vines wrapped around his leg and yanked him off his feet, dragging him across the ground. Seeing that Shinji had no idea of what to tell his Pokémon, Asuka took command of the situation.

"_Torchic!_ Use Ember on Bulbasaur's vines!"

To Soryu and Ikari's surprise, Kensuke was pleased with her command, adjusting his glasses with a sly smirk. "_Heh heh heh_… Right into our trap."

Suddenly, the Bulbasaur released his hold on Riolu, flinging him a good ten feet away and sending him rolling across the ground. As Torchic was distracted by his tumbling partner and failed to use Ember, Toji's Oshawott dashed in front of the fire bird, now standing almost nose to beak with him.

"Yer Pokémon's got a short attention span, Soryu!" Suzuhara taunted, "Oshawott, use da Water Gun in his face!"

With a quick wink, Oshawott opened his mouth and shot a hard stream of water right at Torchic. The powerful burst of H2O knocked the Fire-type off his feet and into the air. As Torchic hurdled in the air, Bulbasaur released an odd green powder from his bulb into the bird's path of suspended travel.

"That dust!" Shinji exclaimed, "Is that-"

"_Sleep Powder!_" Asuka snarled in anger. So that was those two punks' strategy: divide and conquer! They knew they were no match for her greatness, so they decided to gang up on her first and pick off Baka-Shinji afterwards! She could only watch as her Torchic flew through the powder, breathing in the dust and falling into an immediate deep sleep in midair. _"No!"_

The crowd lets out a gasp, and broke into a small applause at Toji and Aida's successful strategy. Even Prof. Akagi was impressed at their teamwork; they were doing much better than their opponents who could barely keep up.

"Yer applause is much obliged," Toji waved to the crowd like a president to his people, "Me an' my colleague are _truly_ an' _deeply_ honored."

Kensuke couldn't help but succumb to Toji's arrogant speaking. "Now watch as we pull off a clean sweep of these _lesser_ trainers."

"_Those idiots!"_ Asuka growled, stomping her foot, "How_ dare_ they belittle me!"

"Don't you mean _us,_ Asuka?" Shinji tried to correct. He soon regretted it as Soryu slapped him upside the head.

"Shut it, Baka-Shinji! This is all _your_ fault anyways!"

"Wha- _My fault?!_"

"If _you_ weren't stupid and didn't have _your_ stupid Pokémon Bullet Punch _Toji's_ stupid Pokémon, _we _wouldn't be losing right now!"

"How was I supposed to know Steel isn't any good against Water?!"

"Oh, I dunno, why don't you look at a freaking _Type Chart_ for once?!"

"_I don't even know what that is!"_

"For the love of-!"

"_Asuka watch out!"_

Before she even realized what was happening, Asuka felt herself falling towards the ground as a stream of water shot above her head. Opening her eyes, she saw Shinji lying on top of her in a… suggestive position, to say the least. His hair, not to mention his entire body, was soaking wet from the Water Gun meant to douse her instead. A drop of water from his bangs landed right underneath Asuka's eye; if her skin matched her emotions, the cold liquid would've sizzled on contact.

"Such _chivalry_, Prof!" Suzuhara pointed and laughed, "Takin' a hit fer ya girlfriend! How knightly!"

Groaning at his friend's childishness, Shinji looked down on Asuka. "You okay?"

The girl blinked and stared at him for a few fleeting moments. They'd never been this close before; their faces were only a foot away from each other. And in this position, no less…

"_Get off me!"_ Soryu shoved Ikari onto his back, erasing all of those disgusting thoughts from her head, "_How dare_ you touch me like that, you _pervert!_"

"I was just trying to-"

"Just shut up, Baka-Shinji!" Asuka folded her arms and looked away; he didn't need to see her blushing. "Let's just finish this stupid battle and kick their asses."

"…Alright." Shinji sighed, looking back to the battle field and studying it. Oshawott and Bulbasaur were laughing at their little scuffle, just like their trainers were. Torchic was still asleep with a snot bubble inflating and deflating from his nostril, temporarily out of action. In the background Riolu was getting back to his feet and soon connected his eyes with Ikari's.

'**I hope you have a plan, Shinji,'** Riolu wiped the dirt from his mouth, **'Preferably a better than the one your friend devised.'**

'_Let me think…'_ Shinji communicated as he looked at the moves displayed on his Pokégear. It then dawned on him that a strategy was lying in the moves themselves. _'Yeah, that might just work!'_

"**What is it, Shinji?'**

'_You'll see. Toji and Kensuke not being able to hear my commands gives us a pretty big edge with this. Just keep reading my thoughts and follow them carefully, and we might actually win this.'_

'**Understood.'**

Having finished laughing at his opponents, Suzuhara clapped his hands to get Shinji's attention. "Hey, wat's da holdup? Quit starin' at yer Pokémon an' come an' lose ta us!"

Shinji just smiled back at him politely. "Hate to break it to you, Toji, but I don't think Asuka and I are going to be losing anytime soon."

'…_What're you up to, Baka-Shinji'?_ Asuka thought as she gave her partner an odd look; this sudden burst of confidence seemed very off for him, '_You really think you can win this without __**me?**__' _Deciding to find out for herself, the redhead snuck away quietly into the lab to find something to bring Torchic back into the battle in case things went awry.

"Wha- _Why you smug little punk!"_ If not for Aida quickly restraining him, Toji would've charged across the field and decked Ikari one, "Oshawott, take dat Riolu down with a Tackle!"

The otter Pokémon let out a battle yelp and charged towards his target. Riolu took stance and concentrated hard on Shinji's mental commands.

'_Don't move an inch, Riolu! Use an Endure and let him hit you, then go for a Counter while he's in range!'_

Taking note, the Fighting type clenched his fists and breathed in as Oshawott's Tackle connected with his torso. Riolu felt the damage flow through his body; it was quite painful, but his using of Endure gave him enough willpower to still stand. Shinji smiled as his strategy played out before his eyes.

'_Now, Riolu! Counter!'_

A pulsing sensation flowed through Riolu's muscles; the little Pokémon could feel the damage he had just taken copy itself and double within. The contained energy rushed to his fists as the spikes on his hands began to glow a bright, pale blue. Before Oshawott realized what was going on, he was hit with a punch that sent him shooting backwards across the entire battle field, landing in a cloud of dust in front of his trainer. The crowd gasped once again at this second surprisingly clever tactic.

"_Da hell was dat?!_" Suzuhara shouted, waving his arms in the air like an idiot, "Ikari's pumped dat Pokémon up wit steroids!"

Kensuke took the whole thing a little more in stride, adjusting his glasses. "That was quite the strategy, Shinji. Using Endure to ensure withstanding a powerful hit, then following with Counter for high damage… And I thought you knew nothing about Pokémon battles."

"We're just doing our best," Shinji said sheepishly, taking note of the vine slowly wrapping around Riolu's leg, "And _that_ trick isn't going to work, either."

"_Wha-?!"_ Before aida could finish his Bulbasaur was yanked off his feet by his vine by Riolu, who swiftly pulled on the Grass-type's appendage. Bulbasaur's face connected with the ground and gained a mouthful of dirt in the process. The Fighting type smirked at his foe.

'**Haven't you ever heard the human saying: Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice shame on me?'**

Enraged by the taunt, Bulbasaur growled angrily and released a flurry of Vine Whips at the bipedal dog. Riolu narrowly dodged the assault with a backflip, but was unaware of the returning threat coming in from the rear.

"Riolu!" Shinji called, "_Behind you!"_

When Riolu turned to see Toji's Oshawott rushing towards him, there was no chance to avoid the incoming Tackle. The Water type dove his body straight into Riolu's side and knocked him right into Bulbasaur's storm of Vine Whips. The plant tendrils stung like bees as they struck the Fighting type over and over.

"It's over, Prof!" Toji boasted, arms folded, "Any moment now an' yer Pokémon's gonna fall victim ta our flawless combination!"

Kensuke leaned up on his friend by his elbow. "Next time, you really shouldn't think you can outsmart expert strategists like _us_."

"_No!"_ Shinji winced, clenching his fists. His Pokémon was helpless under the assault; there was basically no opportunity to strike back. Riolu wasn't even communicating with him right now! All hope of victory was gone now. To come this far on his own and lose… _'Maybe I really wasn't cut out to be a Trainer in the first place…'_

And it was then in his despair that his knight in shining armor came to the rescue.

Suddenly, a burst of flame shot out of nowhere right into Bulbasaur's Vine Whips. The intense heat scared the wits out of the Grass type, and he retracted his tendrils in pain. Almost a second later, Oshawott was struck by a blur of orange and tumbled off his feet.

"What the-?" Ikari stammered before looking to his side, "Asuka!"

Soryu was standing tall beside him, giving him an annoyed look. Shinji noticed an empty silver canister behind her back; she must've snuck an Awakening from Prof. Akagi's lab when he was busy battling. "You really couldn't do it without me, huh, Baka-Shinji?"

"I was doing fine until now. They ganged up on me!"

"Don't give me your lame excuses! Asuka snapped before returning attention to her Pokémon, "Torchic! Scorch those weeds again with another Ember!"

'**Time to bring the heat!'** The Fire chick let out a squawk as he shot a second burst of flame from his beak, this time connecting directly with the Bulbasaur. Riolu managed to roll out of the way of the Ember, and gave his partner a nod.

'**Have a nice nap, friend?'**

'**Hey, don't give me that crap, man,' **Torchic replied in his own language,** '**_**My**_** owner was smart enough to steal something to wake me up with.'**

'**I'm surprised you actually woke up,'** Riolu snickered back.

The bird's eye twitched in annoyance. **'Just wait until your part Steel type, buddy. **_**Then**_** we'll see whose laugh- **_**Oh, crap**_**!' **Torchic ducked his head as a Water Gun by Oshawottbarely missed his crown of feathers.

"Hey!" Asuka stomped her foot, "Pay attention to the battle!"

'**Yeah, yeah…' **Torchic groaned and rolled his beady eyes. The Fire type then sped towards Toji's Oshawott in a kick of dust and drove a Peck attack right into him, knocking him into his Grass type partner. As he watched Asuka's Pokémon completely dominate the opposition, Shinji noticed the bird had gotten faster than he was earlier. He wasn't the only one to notice, however.

"Wat's up wit dat thing's speed?!" Suzuhara shouting was aimed not so discreetly towards Prof. Akagi, who was standing in the front row of the crowd, "Soryu and Ikari gotta be cheatin' fer sure!"

Ritsuko chuckled to herself before answering the boy's question. "That isn't any old Torchic you're facing. It has its Hidden Ability, after all."

"Wat da heck's a _Hidden Ability_?!"

"Every Pokémon has an Ability that helps them in, and sometimes out of, battle," the blonde explained, "For example, the majority of Torchic have Blaze, which powers up Fire type moves in a bad situation. However, some Pokémon have an Ability uncommon to their species, like Asuka's here. Instead of Blaze, it has Speed Boost. That means, the longer a battle goes on, the faster it gets."

"How's dat fair ta us?!"

"It's not…" Aida sighed, accepting premature defeat, "Remember when I told you about how certain Blaziken had been _banned_ from the Avia Regional?"

"Yeah, wat about it?"

"_This_ is why…"

"… We're screwed, aren't we?"

"Yup."

Seeing that their trainers had seemingly given up the fight, Oshawott and Bulbasaur gave each other a quick glance before the former pulled a white flag from seemingly out of nowhere, waving it at the oncoming Fire-type with a shaky smile. Riolu and Torchic looked back at their own trainers, not sure if to attack or not.

"Asuka," Shinji pointed a crooked finger at the opposing Pokémon, "I think they're surrendering. Maybe we should… Asuka?"

"Stupid, stupid _Baka-Shinji_…" the girl shook her head with a victorious smirk, "There's no backing down in a Pokémon battle. If that's how they wanna go down, then its fine with me!" Taking a dynamic pose, she gave her Pokémon one final command. "Torchic… _Finish them!_"

'**Right!'** With fire ready to burst from his beak, Torchic charged at his opponents at maximum speed. Oshawott and Bulbasaur held onto each other and screamed as the hot flame passed over them. Once the smoke cleared, both Pokémon were charred black and frozen. Each blinked twice before falling onto their backs, defeated.

"We won…" Shinji whispered in shock, "We… _We won!_ Asuka, _we won!"_

The crowd broke into a roaring applause as Ikari unofficially declared victory for his team. Hats were tossed into the air as townsfolk rushed to hoist the victors onto their shoulders. Riolu and Torchic were not left out, as women flocked to pet and hug the adorable winners much to the two Pokémon's dismay.

'**Please, **_**don't**_** hug me...,'** Riolu grumbled silently as the females hovered above him. His Fire-type comrade was already inside of a squeeze induced hell created by a small toddler with bows in her hair.

'_**Asuka!'**_ the bird cried, **'Where are you! Make them stop! **_**ASUKA!**_**'**

"Thank you, thank you!" Soryu paid no attention to her Pokémon; she was bathing in the people's praise, her ego at sky-high levels, "You've just witnessed the first ever victory of your future champion!"

Shinji sighed at his friend as he politely asked the townsfolk to put him down. On his feet he called for Riolu, who rushed to him from in between the towering legs of the woman prison where Torchic was currently suffering.

"You did great, buddy," he said, ruffling the hair on Riolu's head, "Next time we'll win one by ourselves, okay?"

The Fighting dog nodded with a smile. **'We will indeed, Shinji.'**

Defeated and humiliated, Toji and Kensuke withdrew Oshawott and Bulbasaur into their Pokeballs and went over to Shinji. Suzuhara extended a hand out to his opponent in sportsmanship.

"Dat was a damn good match, Prof," Toji said, "I guess you an' Soryu were da better team afta all."

Aida patted Shinji on the shoulder and winked. "I gotta agree with Toji, even though she did kinda carry you at the end. But with a Pokémon like hers, she's gonna be winning a lot more battles in the future. You and Riolu did pretty good against both of us on your own, however. How did you two do it? Giving orders without talking, I mean."

Shinji rubbed the back of his head as he shook Toji's hand, "Well, uh, that's just going to be a secret for now. I can't give away my only edge, now could I?"

"Aw, come on, Prof!" Suzuhara pressured, "Ya gotta tell us da secret to yer success!"

"Now now, boys," Prof. Akagi approached the trio from her position in the crowd, "Let Shinji here enjoy his victory; he's had enough pressure for one day. Congratulations on the win, by the way."

"Thanks," Shinji stood up and looked to the group of people surrounding Asuka. He knew she was at the center of it bragging about her superiority, and it made him smile. "But I technically didn't win it myself."

The blonde laughed, humored by Ikari's lack of confidence. "A win is a win, Shinj, no matter who deals the final blow."

"You are most certainly correct, Professor _Ritsuko Akagi."_

The woman froze at the sound of the heavily distorted voice coming from somewhere in the crowd behind her. Silence fell as others heard the bizarre speaking as well, murmurs running rampant between the confused townsfolk. Put off by the strange occurrence, Asuka hurried over to Shinji with Torchic scurrying at her heels, finally free from the binding hugs.

"What the hell's going on?" Soryu asked, narrowing her eyes.

"I don't know…" Shinji gave Riolu a quick look; the Pokémon appeared to have been rattled by the voice and was standing in a fighting position.

"Who's there?!" Prof. Akagi shouted, her eyes darting around the surrounding area, "Show yourself!"

"If you insist…" the voice replied monotonously. Then, from out of nowhere, a figure jumped down into the center of the former battlefield, his body cloaked in a pitch black hooded robe. All of his features were concealed within the cloak, bar the outline of his abnormally broad shoulders and long arms hanging from his sleeves. His face was covered as well by a pure white beaked mask, eerily similar to that of a crow. "Though I am not a fan of being in the light. My appearance is… _unsettling_ to many."

"What… what are you?" Shinji stammered, frightened by the figure's intimidating appearance.

"My designation," the stranger replied calmly like he was answering a superior's order, "Is Special Agent Number Three of Team Seele. Codename: _Sachiel._"

"Team Seele?" Asuka whispered. She had heard about these so-called righteous organizations before. They seemed to pop up from out of nowhere from around the globe. There had been Team Rocket in Kanto and Johto, Teams Magma and Aqua in Hoenn, Team Galactic in Sinnoh, Team Plasma in Unova, Team Flare in Kalos… and now Team Seele in Avia? What could these creeps want with the world now?

Prof. Akagi took a step forward towards Sachiel, placing herself between him and the children. "We don't want any trouble here, especially from the likes of you and Team Seele. Leave this town immediately!"

"I am afraid that is not possible," Sachiel answered flatly, "My orders were to not leave Merganser Town without Artifact 316. I was informed that it was in your possession, Professor Ritsuko Akagi."

Ritsuko's eyes narrowed, "I haven't the slightest clue what you're talking about."

The Profesor took the words right out of Shinji's mind. What was this Sachiel guy talking about? However, the boy had a feeling that the Professor did know something about this artifact, and it worried him deeply.

"Your insolence is a flaw, Professor," Sachiel reached into his cloak and pulled out a strange looking Pokéball. It was coated in a deep chrome red with a cryptic eyed triangle embossed on the top half in black: the symbol of Team Seele. "I will give you one more chance to comply. Otherwise…"

Sachiel tossed the Pokéball into the air and watched as his beast of destruction emerged from within. The large dinosaurian Rock-Dark type landed on the ground with a rumbling thud and let out a roar of pure rage. Akagi, Shinji, Asuka and everyone around them stared at the Pokémon with dread in their minds, knowing fully of this monster's pure destructive power: exactly what Sachiel wanted them to feel.

"I will have my Tyranitar _wipe this town_ from existence…"

* * *

**Next Stage:**

_Enter Team Seele!_

_Sachiel's Threatening Ultimatum!_


	4. Stage 4: First Contact

**Just a little tidbit of info in case some were wondering:**

**When you see a Pokémon's "speech" written in bold, that is actually the translation of their call. For example, if a Froakie's dialogue was, _'Hi, my name is Froakie!'_, that is the translation of him saying his name like in the Pokémon anime (i.e _'Froakie-Froakie!'_). The only exception is with Shinji and Riolu, who just listen to each others thoughts and know exactly what each other is thinking.**

* * *

"Y-You'd _what?_" Shinji was trembling in his shoes at the hulking agent known as Sachiel stood by his Tyranitar, who at any moment could destroy Merganser Town at the snap of a finger. Would this guy really put all these townsfolk in danger just for some artifact?

"Artifact 316 is of vital importance to Team Seele," Sachiel stated, "I am willing to turn to violent measures in order to retrieve it. Everything in this town is disposable. Buildings, people, Pokémon… None are of any meaning to neither me nor my superiors, and I will eradicate them all if you do not comply, Professor Akagi."

Knowing that she may be taking a big risk, Ritsuko stood tall in defiance. "I will not allow you to threaten these people or their Pokémon any longer!"

"And how will you do that, Professor?" Sachiel replied in a cold, smug voice. Akagi gave him an equally smug smirk back as her backup revealed their selves. From out of the crowd emerged three people in white hoodies, two men and a woman, with Pokéballs in hand.

"Like this," Ritsuko nodded to the trio, "_Maya! Hyuga! Shigeru!_ Show our _'friend' _here just who he's dealing with!"

"_Yes, ma'am!" _

The three replied in unison, throwing their hoodies into the air and revealing their matching attire. They were each dressed in a tan uniform with orange trim around the shoulders and a large red, leaf-shaped logo embossed on the back. The words 'God's In His Heaven, All's Right with the World' sat below the symbol of their organization.

"Team NERV…" Sachiel appeared unfazed by their revealing, "I was informed that agents may have been in hiding around the laboratory in case of an attack. However, it is of no bother to me: I will crush you all, then claim the artifact for myself."

"Another team?" Asuka muttered, "What is this, a freaking war zone?"

"I hope not…" Shinji answered as he eyed Professor Akagi, the Team NERV agents and Sachiel. Why was this artifact worth so much to these two organizations? Was it really something worth fighting over anyways?

"Time is short," Sachiel slapped his Tyranitar on the arm with an open palm, "Destroy them now, Tyranitar. _Hyper Beam."_

The Rock/Dark type roared as a swirling red and white beam began to form within its jaws. The townspeople began to scream and run as the monstrous Pokémon prepared its devastating attack.

"Dammit!" Hyuga threw his Pokéball into the air, as did Maya and Shigeru. A humanoid creature with moustache like whiskers appeared from within. "Alakazam, Light Screen! Weaken that Hyper Beam!"

"You too, Magneton! Light Screen!" Shigeru ordered his three-bodied Steel-Electric type.

As the two men's Pokémon produced a gleaming wall of light to block the Tyranitar's attack, Maya knelt down by her sent-out Persian, petting its head. "Okay, Persian. I want you to Dig under those screens and hold down that Tyranitar's trainer, okay?" The Normal type feline purred in compliance and began to dig a hole into the earth.

"Everyone, evacuate!" Ritsuko shouted to the crowd, "Get yourselves and your Pokémon to a safe place outside of town! Hurry!"

"_Oh, shit!"_ Toji shrieked, grabbing a fear-frozen Aida by the collar, dragging him by his heels, "We gotta git da hell outta here!"

In an attempt to hide her feelings of pure terror, Asuka scoffed at the two fleeing boys._ "Cowards!_ We're trainers now! We have to fight this guy!"

'**Yeah- **_**Wait, what?!**_**'** Torchic gave his trainer a crazy look, **'Do you want me to **_**die**_**, woman?!'**

'**Stop her Shinji!'** Riolu ordered, knowing that Shinji was already going to do it, **'If she goes out there she will be killed!'**

"Don't do this now, Asuka!" Ikari tugged on her arm, trying to get her away, "There's nothing you can do! _Its suicide!"_

"Let go of me!" Soryu shoved him away, "Go run away with your stupid friends and save yourself! I don't need you to worry about me!"

Shinji grabbed her by the arm again. "I'm not going to let you die!"

"I can take care of my- _AIIEEE!"_

A thundering explosion filled the air and shook the earth as the Tyranitar unleashed its powerful Hyper Beam, colliding with the Kadabra and Magneton's Light Screen. The protective wall of light could barely hold back the devastating attack, with streams of energy pouring over its edges. Shinji pulled Asuka to the ground, his body over hers like a shield to protect her from the spastic rays. The girl was surprised at how he had protected her for the second time today; did that idiot think she was helpless? Still, she'd be lying if she said she didn't appreciate it, but still…

"Stop saving me!" Asuka lied through her teeth, "I can take care of myself!"

"That's not the point!" Shinji crawled off her, urging her to come with him away from the chaos, "This is really dangerous, Asuka! Let those three deal with that guy!"

'**Come on, Asuka!'** Torchic pecked at her side, **'Listen to the guy! He's right, you know!'**

Soryu took a quick look back at the Sachiel and his Tyranitar as Team NERV's Light Screen wore off. The masked man pointed at the three agents, and his lumbering Pokémon began to approach them with heavy steps. Baka- Shinji was right; she didn't stand a chance against that beast.

"…Fine," Asuka muttered, defeated. To back down from a fight like this, even with the odds against her… how pathetic she was.

"Resistance is futile," Sachiel stood like a monolith as his beast prepared another devastating assault. "Your pathetic Pokémon are nowhere near the level of mine. The chances of your victory are miniscule."

"Doesn't mean we can't try!" Shigeru smirked, "Magneton, use Flash Cannon!"

The Pokémon buzzed as its three magnets floated in front of its trio of bodies, and then unleashed a shining beam of compressed steel at the Tyranitar. Even though the Flash Cannon dealt super effective damage, the Tyranitar was almost unfazed by the attack.

"But how?" Shigeru was dumbfounded, "That should've at least scratched him!"

"Let me try!" Hyuga let his Alakazam jump in front of the Magneton, taking point, "Use Focus Blast, Alakazam!"

The Psychic type levitated its two spoons into the air. As it concentrated, a sphere of pure power formed between the manmade objects and then hurtled towards Tyranitar at a threatening speed. Sachiel did not even give his Pokémon an order to dodge the incoming attack; even with its threatening four times effectiveness, he knew for certain the Tyranitar could take it and still stand tall afterwards.

A huge explosion erupted as the Focus Blast made contact with Tyranitar. Hyuga, Shigeru and Maya shielded their faces from the incoming cloud of dust that had enveloped the target. Hyuga waved his hand in the air to try and see through the dust. What he saw next almost made his jaw drop to his feet.

"Impossible…" he gaped as the Tyranitar's massive form stood unfazed, the beast glaring at him in annoyance. Its trainer was still standing beside it just as still and collected as he was before. "Even after that Focus Blast… They're both not even hurt!"

"I told you peons before," Sachiel spoke, "The chances of your victory are quite miniscule. But now…" He paused as the ground beside him began to open up and Maya's Persian pounced up at him. Without even turning his masked head he grabbed the Normal type by the face and slammed it back to the ground, knocking it out cold. "Your chances have just become _non-existent."_

"_Persian!"_ Maya shrieked as Sachiel casually tossed her unconscious Pokémon away like a rag doll. Enraged by the Seele agent's despicable action, Hyuga and Shigeru turned their attention away from the Tyranitar to its owner.

"Alakazam!" Hyuga clenched his fist, "Restrain that man with Psychic!"

Before the Psychic type could even react, Sachiel's Tyranitar burst into a short charge and collided with Hyuga and Alakazam, sending them flying at least twenty feet. Luckily, Shigeru and his Magneton managed to jump out of the way of the Rock/Dark type's swinging tail, but were unprepared for the Pokémon's next deadly attack.

"Tyranitar," Sachiel droned, _"Dark Pulse."_

Suddenly the Tyranitar stomped the ground and emitted an eerie aura from the black indents on its body. The aura wrapped around the bodies of Shigeru and Magneton like snakes then quickly constricted around them, sending feelings of utter dread and despair into their minds. With its three separate minds, the Magneton took the attack much better than its trainer who slumped to the ground in a moan.

"Pesky inorganic," Sachiel muttered as the Steel/Electric type prepared to strike him with a Thunderbolt to avenge his master, "Melt it, Tyranitar. _Fire Blast."_

Obediently, Tyranitar roared and shot a burning star of fire straight at Magneton, sending the three bodied Pokémon down to the ground, charred and defeated. Shinji and Asuka peered out from their hiding place from behind Prof. Akagi's lab as the last of Team NERV's Pokémon fell in battle.

"They lost!" Shinji winced, "It was three on one, and they still couldn't beat him!"

"That's one tough Tyranitar," Soryu said, more to herself than to Shinji, "Most Tyranitar are made for physical combat, but all of this one's attacks were _special_ based… Those three weren't expecting or prepared for something of that kind."

"Oh, no!" Ikari pointed to the last remaining NERV agent, Maya, who had rushed to check on her Persian as Sachiel was slowly approaching her from behind, "He's going to get her!"

As Shinji was about to yell at Maya to run, a slender purple blur darted in front of the woman and stood before Sachiel, snarling menacingly. The Seele agent cocked his masked head at the Liepard in curiosity before noticing its owner.

"I thought you were not an active trainer, Professor Akagi," he looked at the approaching Ritsuko, "Or are you using your Pokémon here as a distraction to evacuate the artifact?"

"The artifact _is_ _not_ here," Akagi narrowed her eyes, "Why must you persist in saying that it is?"

"Why must you persist in denying that it is indeed here, Professor?" Sachiel countered, "The destruction can stop now if you just hand it over immediately."

Ritsuko gritted her teeth; there was no way she could give Team Seele the artifact; the consequences would be devastating, world changing even! But if she didn't, all of Merganser Town could be demolished… _'Dammit! Damn it all!'_

"_Hey, ugly!"_

The young female voice caught Sachiel's attention. As he turned towards it, a rock collided with his mask, cracking it down the middle. His hand immediately shot to his face to stop the mask from breaking in two. "Who dares?!"

His assaulter came out from her hiding spot and stood with hands on her hips. "_Asuka Langley Soryu_, that's who!"

"A girl?" Sachiel snapped his fingers and approached Asuka. Behind him his Tyranitar emitted another Dark Pulse that wrapped around Ritsuko, Maya and Persian, crippling them. The pseudo-legendary used an alternate method for the Professor's Liepard, crushing it to the ground under its heavy spiked tail. "A _teenage girl_ thinks she can defeat _me_, an elite member of Team Seele? How brave of you, child."

"Get back, Asuka!" Shinji whispered, still in hiding, "He might hurt you!"

'**Listen to him, Asuka!'** Torchic chirped, running to her side, **'I don't wanna see this guy beat you up!'**

"Your Pokémon seems to want you to retreat, girl," Sachiel looked down on Soryu, his massive frame dwarfing her, "You may want to consider its pleas if you know what's best for you. I am not against beating sense into disobedient children."

"If you want that artifact, you'll have to go through me!" Asuka snapped defiantly, slapping the agent across the face much to Shinji's shock.

"_Wh-What're you doing!"_ Ikari shrieked, _"He'll kill you!"_

Sachiel's crow-like mask flew off his face into two separate pieces. In a horrified expression, Asuka was stunned to see an almost identical, beakless mask on the agent's face now; he was wearing two at once to better conceal his identity! Still, Sachiel was not amused by her intolerable display of disrespect. His hand shot to her throat aand he lifted the girl into the air.

"_Stupid girl,"_ Sachiel growled as he began to choke her with one hand. He casually punted Torchic away before the Fire type bird could singe his feet with an Ember. "You shall now pay with the greatest cost of all."

"_No!"_ Shinji leaped from his hiding spot, stumbling on his feet as he ran to save Asuka.

'**Shinji, wait!'** Riolu called mentally, **'You'll be in as much danger as she is!'**

'_Better me than her dying, Riolu!' _

"What's this?" Sachiel watched as Shinji dashed and stopped before him, "Another child? This town is full of brave maggots, it seems."

Asuka could barely make out Shinji's form through her blurring vision. Saving her again? There was no way he'd succeed this time, though; if three trainers and the Professor couldn't beat this guy, Shinji didn't even stand a chance in hell. _'Just like me,'_ she thought, _'I can't believe it's gonna end like this… I never even got the chance to tell him anything... I'm so pathetic…'_

"B-Baka Shinji…" she sputtered out as Sachiel's grip tightened, "I'm sorry… I-"

"_Let her go!"_ Ikari clenched his fists in rage, "She has nothing to do with this!"

"You are incorrect, _Shinji Ikari_," Sachiel said, satisfied as the boy flinched at him knowing his name.

"How… do you know my name?" Shinji stuttered.

"It seems you don't know much about your family, boy. I'm not surprised your mother didn't tell you about her past exploits with your father here in Avia. She probably wanted to keep you in the dark so you wouldn't discover the _real reason _Gendo Ikari vanished."

'_He knows about dad?'_ Shinji wanted to question him about that now, but then realized there was no time. Asuka was the top priority now, not his own selfish questions. "Just… just let Asuka go! Please!"

"I am afraid that is impossible. Any person who strikes an agent of Team Seele is considered a threat to our cause, and must be dealt with the most permanent solution."

"_Then kill me instead!"_

Asuka's eyes widened: Did he really just say that?! Would he die here for her? How stupid could he be! She was a failure, and not even worth giving a life for!

'**What are you thinking, Shinji?! You'll- **_**Ungh!**_**'** Riolu took a step back and fell to one knee as his trainer's aura flowed through his veins. Shinji's emotions were so raw and full of rage they had crippled him! Did this girl really mean that much to him?

"You wish to die in her place, Ikari?" Sachiel asked calmly. The boy hesitated and swallowed before nodding slowly.

"I… I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I let her die. Just put her down and take me instead."

"Shinji…"Asuka rasped; she was running out of air fast. A small tear trickled from her left eye, and for good reason. Either she or Shinji was going to die here, and it was her arrogance to blame.

Sachiel thought for a moment, considering the boy's offer. "…While your suggestion of substitution is quite valiant, I'm afraid I _cannot _comply."

"_What?!"_ Shinji screamed, devastated. His effort was all in vain! This man was going to kill Asuka now! For absolutely _nothing! _

"However," the masked agent continued, as his Tyranitar lumbered up beside him, "Seeing as how you wouldn't be able to live without her, I can grant you your death wish here and now. Tyranitar… fulfill the boy's desire to die. _Hyper Beam."_

'_This can't be happening…'_ Ikari fell to his knees as the Tyranitar opened its jaws wide, a Hyper Beam forming within. There was nothing he could do now except give up; even if he ran, the beast would still get him. It was better to stand in the face of death than run like a coward in front of Asuka.

Riolu stayed in his hiding spot, shaking from fear. Shinji's aura had gone completely flat, the strong and vibrant emotions having vanished entirely. All that remained... _was utter fear._ Was he really giving up now? The little Pokémon wanted to help his trainer badly, but knew that he would end up hurt or worse…

The agent of Seele was more than pleased with himself now. Any chance of the opposition's victory was gone now: Professor Akagi and the Team NERV agents were out cold, and these two children were about to end up dead. Artifact 316 would soon be in his grasp, and a promotion would be coming his way back at HQ. Suddenly, the comm embedded in his mask began to beep. Who would be contacting him now?

"_Speak_," Sachiel ordered as he answered the comm, "I am quite busy at the moment."

"_Stop messing around,_ Sachiel," a deep, rasping voice replied, "I do not care if the child broke your precious mask. Just grab the artifact and then you can kill them."

"_Bardiel,"_ Sachiel said, somewhat annoyed, "It is unwise to be spying on your fellow Seele agents. I do not appreciate your secret supervision, for I am fully capable of completing this assignment myself."

"You do realize that is the _Ikari child_ your Pokémon is about to incinerate, don't you?"

"What of it? He is just another citizen; his life means nothing to Seele as of now. Besides, he is nowhere near the level of his parents in skill."

"Speaking of his parents…" Bardiel muttered before cutting the line.

And then, for the first time in years, Sachiel was caught off guard.

* * *

_'I don't want to die!'_ Shinji had closed his eyes as he awaited for the Hyper Beam to blow him away, tears creeping through his eyelids, _'Why's this happening to me?! To Asuka?! We just got our Pokémon today! It isn't fair!'_

The rumbling of the Tyranitar's attack was growing louder every second; Shinji knew it wouldn't be very long now. He could hear that monster Sachiel talking to someone in the background, about what he didn't know. How could he be chatting with someone now? Was someone's life that meaningless to him?!

Shaking, Shinji closed his eyes tighter as the rumbling turned into a loud screech, ready to fire.

_'No, no, NO!-_

And then, suddenly, the rumbling stopped.

'_What?!'_ Shinji's eyes shot open to see an orange blur ram into the Tyranitar and send it flying into a nearby building. What could have possibly hit that monster with such force? He was not the only one stunned by the action; Sachiel was frozen in shock, still holding Asuka in the air as he witnessed his Pokémon taken down in a flash. Seeing an opportunity, Shinji ran towards the agent and kicked him where every man, no matter how strong or intimidating, hurts.

"_GAHHGH!"_ Sachiel bellowed in pain, letting his grip on Asuka go. Gasping for air, the girl fell towards the ground and landed on her butt beside Shinji.

"Asuka!" Shinji grabbed her by the hand and ran away from the wincing Sachiel. When they were a safe distance away he pulled Asuka into a tight embrace. "Thank God you're alright! You are okay, aren't you?"

"Y-Yeah…" Asuka breathed, feeling comfort in Baka-Shinji's arms. She wouldn't mind staying like this a little longer if they weren't out in the open for all to see. "But you can let go of me now!"

"Oh, yeah… Sorry," Ikari complied as Riolu and Torchic ran up beside them.

'**Shinji,'** Riolu put his paw on his trainer's leg, smiling, **'I must commend you for your bravery. You saved Soryu's life.'**

'**Guess I should thank ya too,'** Torchic chirped as his trainer lifted him off the ground, **'Someone's got to keep this girl out of trouble, 'cause I sure as heck can't do it at this stage.'**

"It wasn't just me," Shinji answered sheepishly, glancing around, "Whatever tackled that Tyranitar deserves some of the credit. Where'd it go?"

Suddenly Asuka pointed towards the sky. "Look! Up there!"

Covering his brow with his hand, Shinji gazed up towards the sun as a large, winged silhouette flew past its blinding core. The shadow then began to dive straight towards the Earth like a missile at high speed. Sachiel's Tyranitar, the victim of this newcomer's attack, stomped out of the crushed building it had been knocked into and let out a ferocious roar, ready to continue the battle. With a gust of wind produced from its small, blue wings, the new arrival landed on the ground with a thud. It was a large Dragon type Pokémon with a rounded orange body and a friendly face, with two antennae like projections on top of its head.

"_A Dragonite!"_ Asuka said in awe, "What's one of these doing here"

"Hey!" Recognizing this Pokémon, Shinji gave the plump dragon a huge grin. "It's been a while, Dragonite!"

"You know this thing, Baka-Shinji?"

"I haven't seen him for a while, but I know this is the same one I met all those years ago... Thanks for saving us, by the way."

Dragonite blushed at the boy, a big bashful smile on his face. **'Aw, it was nothing, Shinji. I'm not the only one you should thank, though…'**

Growling in annoyance, Sachiel stood tall once again and glared at the Dragon type. There was only one trainer in the area with this Pokémon, and he had brought his Tyranitar in the slim possibility it showed up. Still, he did not expect it to actually make an appearance, however. This trainer had many more Pokémon at her disposal, and all were strong enough to take him on. But for her to bring her strongest one… Maybe he shouldn't have attacked the Ikari boy after all.

"So careless of me…" Sachiel mused aloud, as Shinji, Asuka and the Pokémon turned to him, "To think this operation would have gone smoothly, without _her _interrupting me. At least now I will be able to claim the artifact _and_ take down the strongest trainer in all of Avia, besides myself."

"Is that so?" a feminine voice said from behind Shinji. The boy spun around to see a familiar, reassuring face.

"_Mom!"_ Shinji ran to his mother, grabbing her tightly from the waist. "What are you doing here?!"

"To protect you, of course," Yui smiled warmly at her son, "I could hear the ruckus here in town all the way from home, and I wasn't going to sit there and do nothing while my son was in danger. Are you alright?" When Shinji nodded she shifted attention to Soryu. "How about you, Asuka? Are you and the Pokémon hurt?"

Asuka shook her head yes. "We're fine now, thanks to you. Do you think you can take that Team Seele guy down?"

"Yeah, mom," Shinji looked at Sachiel nervously, "He took out the Professor and three agents of… Team NERV, I think. Can you really beat him?"

"Why don't we find out?" Yui ruffled Shinji's hair before breezing past him and Asuka with Dragonite flapping his wings beside her. She stopped about ten feet away from Sachiel with a serious, no nonsense expression on her face. "So, you're the one causing all of this destruction, eh?"

"For the world to become a better place," Sachiel answered, his Tyranitar behind him, "The old must be replaced with new. That is the truth, and that is what I and Team Seele stand for. And no one will stand in our way. Not the International Police, not Team NERV, and certainly not _you_, Yui Ikari."

"I hate to burst your bubble, but you're wrong about one thing."

"Oh? And what may that be?"

"Well, it's all because you made one big mistake: You tried to _hurt my son_. And now, I'm going to do _more_ than stop you. I'm going to make sure your agency _never sees you again."_

* * *

**Next Stage:**

_Clash of the Pseudo-Legendaries!_

_Yui and Dragonite vs. Sachiel and Tyranitar!_


	5. Stage 5: A Mother's Love Knows No Bounds

**Sooo excited for Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire! With all the new Mega Evolutions, I'll have to find a way to incorporate them into the story, possibly a few older ones as well...**

* * *

"So arrogant, Yui Ikari…" Sachiel stared down the woman before him, her Dragonite ready to attack his monstrous Tyranitar on command. The agent of Seele knew just how skilled a trainer Yui Ikari was in the past, and he was sure that her abilities had not diminished over time. However, Sachiel knew for certain he could hold his own and defeat this woman simultaneously. "I am not just some lackey of Seele. I am an elite soldier who has been thoroughly trained in the art of battling. I will certainly not be bested by the likes of _you_."

Yui shook her head in amusement. "If I had a penny for every time someone like you said something like that, I'd be the richest woman in Avia. You're kind is all the same: you talk big, pick on those weaker than you, and then end up falling flat on your face."

Dragonite couldn't help but giggle at his trainer's words, much to Sachiel's annoyance. The hulking agent had had just about enough of this woman. It was time to _end_ her.

"_Tyranitar, Hyper Beam!"_

The Rock/Dark type beast roared as it quickly charged its devastating beam attack within its jaws. Shinji and Asuka stepped back in fear at the sight of the familiar red and white energy.

"Mom!" Shinji called, "Get back!"

"Don't worry, Shinji dear," Yui assured him, unzipping her jacket to reveal a sleek purple trainer's tank, "This will be over soon. _Extreme Speed_, Dragonite!"

With a nod, the Dragon type disappeared in a whistle of dust. Tyranitar had no idea where its target had gone before it was too late. Traveling at the speed of a bullet, Dragonite struck the beast five times: two punches, two kicks and a massive tail smash to finish off the world's fastest attack. Unable to control the energy in its jaws as he skidded backwards from the surprise attack, Tyranitar sent the half-charged Hyper Beam up into the sky and into the clouds before letting loose another blast from its maw, this time a searing Fire Blast attack. Dragonite watched the flaming star shoot towards him, not even preparing to dodge.

"It's gonna hit you!" Asuka shouted at the Pokémon, "Move out of the way!"

"That won't be necessary, Asuka," Shinji's mother smiled, much to the girl's confusion. She knew that Dragonite resisted Fire type moves, but was this woman really going to let her Pokémon take such a powerful attack?

'_Wait for it…'_ Yui eyed her Pokémon with anticipation, _'Counter it, just like we always used to with these attacks. I know you can do it.'_

'**I know just what to do, Yui,'** Dragonite smiled to himself, **'How could I forget?'** The Fire Blast was coming in fast; less than two seconds before impact. **'Counter right… About… NOW!'**

On cue Dragonite released a fast burst of draconic energy from his mouth, cutting a hole through the fire star and dispersing it into the air. The Dragon Pulse kept traveling through the air right towards the surprised Tyranitar before making contact with its rocky hide and exploding.

"_Tyranitar!"_ Sachiel growled angrily as his Pokémon went down. How could his monster be losing to this Dragonite? It's level was in the 70's, for God's sake! "Get up now! Annihilate that Dragonite!"

Strugling back to its feet, Tyranitar snarled as it emitted a Dark Pulse from its body, the black aura moving towards Dragonite like tendrils. Dragonite began to flap his wings rapidly and whipped up a spinning gale of wind. The Dark Pulse became entangled in the growing tornado and dissipated into a black fog within the swirling wind. As Dragonite's attack grew larger in size, it began to pull in everything around it, including bystanders.

"Whoa!" Shinji yelped as he felt his feet begin to slide towards the mini storm. Riolu clung to his leg like a Joltik on a power generator, "This attack's insane!"

"It's _Hurricane!_" Asuka yelled as she pulled Torchic to her chest in a death grip to stop him from being sucked into the vortex, "It's gotta be! There's no other Flying-type move this powerful!"

"Sorry, Shinji!" Yui's jacket was billowing in the wind produced by her Pokémon, "Dragonite only used this move on instinct! I'd say it's a little bit _carried away_ now!"

Catching his trainer's hint, Dragonite gave one last powerful flap of his wings and sent the Hurricane straight towards Tyanitar and Sachiel, catching them in the vortex. As his master was sent spinning in circles almost instantly, Tyranitar held his footing for a good five seconds before his massive frame lifted into the air. The Hurricane lasted for about half a minute before slowly disappearing, allowing Sachiel, Tyranitar and all the other picked-up debris to plummet back to the earth.

"Aggh!" Sachiel roared in pain as he landed hard on his back, his Pokémon nearly crushing him as it fell with a cloud of dust in front of his feet. This couldn't be happening! How could he be losing to this woman?!

"Giving up yet?" Yui called through the dust to her opponent. The cloud of earth blew away to reveal a staggering Sachiel, his Tyranitar barely able to stand.

"What makes you think… I am losing in this situation?" The agent lied through his teeth; he would not, no, he _refused_ to admit defeat at any cost.

"You're Pokémon's already getting desperate," Yui said confidently, "After the damage it took from that Extreme Speed, something it should have normally resisted, it knows my Dragonite is of a much higher level. If you don't want that Tyranitar to get hurt, I suggest you pull him back and retreat. I really don't want to put this town in any more unnecessary danger."

"Retreat?" Sachiel's eye twitched beneath his mask; it wasn't too often that he lost his cool. But now, with the odds of winning fairly slim, he couldn't help but panic. "_Retreat!? _I _cannot_ retreat! Retreating would tarnish the name and reputation of the great Team Seele! I will _never_ commit such a despicable act! The day I do will be the day I _die!_"

"He's really losing it," Shinji whispered to Asuka, "A minute ago he was confident as ever, and now…"

"In the face of a stronger opponent, he's scared witless," Asuka finished, "I never realized how tough your mom was, Baka Shinji. You _obviously_ didn't inherit your battling skills from _her_, that's for sure."

"Really, Asuka? Just can't help but insult me, can you?"

Sachiel began to breathe heavily, hyperventilating in defeat's face. "You will pay for your arrogance, Yui Ikari! Now, Tyranitar… _Stone Edge the children!"_

Tyranitar raised his foot off the ground and roared with all its might. The instant its clawed soles touched terra firma, a line of moving dirt trailed across the ground in a straight line towards Shinji and Asuka, concealing a wicked party of sharpened stone ready to crush whatever it came in contact with.

Yui, realizing the perilous danger her son and his friend were in, spun towards them in a flash. "Shinji! Asuka! Move! Get out of the way_ now!"_

Just as the ground shook at their feet, Shinji and Asuka dove to the side seconds before a pyramid of pointed stones shot out of the earth where they had been standing. Shinji looked at the rocks wide eyed and gasping for air; he and Asuka could have been skewered by that attack!

"Asuka!" Ikari shouted, "Are you alright!"

Brushing the dust off her dress, Soryu heard Baka-Shinji calling for her. "I think so..." She looked at Sachiel, who was in a fit of rage after his underhanded tactic had failed. "He tried to kill us…"she whispered before suddenly filling with rage, "_He tried to kill us! That bastard!_"

Asuka wasn't the only furious one; Yui was just as enraged as she was. That man had just tried to kill her son! "How dare you!" she screamed at Sachiel, "Do you have no soul?! They're just children, you monster!"

"Children have no place in war," Sachiel answered coldly, his head cocked awkwardly, "And neither do you, woman. _Now peri- GEAAGH!"_

Suddenly, before he could order his Tyranitar to let off another Stone Edge, Sachiel was sent flying backwards by an Extreme Speed powered tail whip by Dragonite. He screamed as his prone, flailing body shot straight into the woods a hundred feet away and crashed through a number of small trees before landing in a heap on the forest floor. Turning in surprise at his master's surprise 'departure', Tyranitar came face to face with a glowing Dragonite, growling viciously at him.

"Now finish it, Dragonite!" Yui pointed in victory, "_Superpower!_"

With a roar of pure power, Dragonite quickly flew backwards from Tyranitar before charging back at it like a truck. The sheer force of his strength exuding from the orange glow around him, Dragonite collided with Tyranitar so powerfully that the Rock/Dark type was sent flying instantly into a building sixty feet behind him. Its eyes rolled over, Tyranitar coughed once before falling out of the crumbled wall of the building and onto the earth, knocked out and defeated.

"You.. you did it!" Shinji cheered gleefully, getting back on his feet and running to Yui, "Mom, you did it! You and Dragonite beat him!"

Yui smiled at her son and lay her hand on his shoulder, "That was far from my toughest battle, Shinji. I'm just glad you and Asuka are safe. That's all that matters now."

"I'd give my congrats, but what about the town?" Asuka asked, gesturing to the destroyed buildings and torn earth, "It isn't exactly in _perfect condition._"

"Well, some things couldn't be helped," Yui shrugged, "Besides, if I hadn't arrived, that man would have done far worse than this."

"Still, if Dragonite didn't use that stupid Hurricane it wouldn't look as bad as it is now."

"Come on, Asuka," Shinji sighed, "You're just mad because all that wind messed up your hair – _Oww!_" Asuka slapped the boy upside the head for revealing the truth. "Why'd you do that?"

"Hey, you were asking for it, Baka Shinji."

As the two teens began to bicker around Yui, Riolu and Torchic scurried over to Dragonite. The former clasped his hands and bowed in respect of the much larger Pokémon.

'**Thank you, Dragonite,'** Riolu nodded, **'We are forever in your debt for saving our lives. One day we hope to return the favor to you.'**

Torchic raised an eyebrow at his friend. **'When did **_**you**_** start speaking for **_**me**_**, now?'**

'**Aw, shucks,'** Dragonite blushed with a big embarrassed smile, **'You little guys don't need to be like that. All I did was defend those who couldn't defend themselves.'**

'**You sayin' I'm **_**weak?**_**'** Torchic threatened as menacingly as he could.

'_**Please,**_** Torchic,'** Riolu rolled his eyes, **'Did you really believe you could stand a chance against that Tyranitar? You even agreed with Shinji that retreating was better than dying.'**

'…**I hate you sometimes, you know that?'**

* * *

It was during the late afternoon that a rescue team arrived, along with members of the International Police and NERV. The damage to the town wasn't anything major, other than one totaled building whose owner was a little more than unhappy. Most of the cleanup focused on the random debris scattered around the town from Dragonite's Hurricane attack, with numerous workers gathering it up in disposal trucks. Sacheil's Tyranitar was quarantined by wranglers and taken away in a large cage; what to be done with it was still undecided by officials. Those who were injured during the chaos, those being Prof. Akagi, the three NERV agents and their Pokémon, were receiving treatment from medics; luckily Tyranitar's Dark Pulse left the humans with no serious damage other than a headache that could last for a couple days. The Pokémon were a little more banged up, but there were no wounds a few Hyper Potions and a good night's sleep couldn't heal.

"It's okay, Liepard," Ritsuko was sitting at her Pokémon's side, stroking its fur gently. The Dark type purred back at her before starting to snore softly. "Just rest up. You did the best you could out there today. We all did."

"Professor!"

The blonde turned to see Shinji and Asuka rushing over to her, with the former's mother close behind. She hushed the teens, pointing down at her sleeping Pokémon.

"Oh, sorry," Shinji whispered, "We just came to see if you were okay."

"I'm fine, Shinji," Akagi smiled, "You three seem to be as well, and I'm glad to see that."

Seeing this as the perfect opportunity to do so, Asuka asked a question that had been on her mind for the last few hours. "Just what is the artifact Sachiel, or whatever he called himself, was after? Is it really here in your lab?"

"Yeah," Shinji nodded; he had been wondering the same thing and more, "And who's this Team NERV that you work with? What're they doing here in Merganser Town?"

"Now Shinji," Yui urged, laying a hand on her son's shoulder, "Let's not bombard Prof. Akagi with questions now. She's probably worn out after all this excitement."

The Professor smiled to herself, shaking her head. "No, it's fine Yui. I do feel like I'm responsible for answering their questions. _Most_ of them, that is. Come with me into my lab so we can talk in private. You're welcome to come too if you wish, Yui."

"Oh, no," Yui waved her hands in defense, "I've got to get back home and check up on Stoutland. He doesn't do very well in a house all by himself. Tore up the sofa last time I was gone too long… I'll see you later, Shinji dear. You were very brave today."

"Uh, thanks, mom…" Shinji blushed a little as his mother kissed him of the forehead; he wasn't used to being called brave all too often. Asuka rolled her eyes at his sappiness. _'Such a momma's boy,'_ she thought, _'I'd hate to see the kind of man he turns into…'_

"I'll talk to you tomorrow, Ritsuko. You take care too, Asuka." Yui then whistled sharply, calling Dragonite to her side. Hopping on its back, she nodded to the rounded dragon and flew up into the sky and out of sight, already halfway home.

"The things she's seen…" the blonde murmured before turning back to the teens. "Come now, you two. It's time you learned what's _really_ happening in our region."

* * *

The lights were still off in the Professor's lab since Shinji and Asuka last went inside, bar a small desk lamp at the table where the two of them sat across from Ritsuko. Torchic and Riolu were sitting atop the table at the opposite end intently; they didn't quite understand what their trainers were here to talk about, but it was better than being outside alone with the cleaners.

"So," Asuka said, clapping her hands together, "_Spill it_. And don't jump around anything."

"This isn't an _interrogation_, Asuka-"

"_Shut it,_ Baka Shinji! Let me do this _my_ way!"

"Easy, easy," Akagi laughed nervously, trying to calm the children down, "I have _almost_ nothing to hide. Now, what do you want to know first?"

"Um…" Ikari scratched his head in thought, only for Asuka to steal his opportunity.

"What is Team NERV?_ And_ Team Seele, for that matter. Are they like some government organizations or whatever?"

"Well, NERV is. We're a subdivision of the International Police stationed here in Avia meant to deal with the upmost threats to society; Seele falls into that category. I myself am the head of the Scientific and Historical Research United Branch, or… _SHRUB_… for short."

"Really?" Asuka said in a disgusted manner, "The name of your division is basically_ bush?_"

"That's not important…" Ritsuko answered defensively, "Now, onto _Seele_. They are a terrorist group whose motives are unknown at this time. All we at NERV know now is that they are after something we discovered in the Sinnoh Region a few years ago."

"You mean that Artifact 316 Sachiel was talking about?" Shinji asked.

"Correct. We at NERV still do not know exactly what this artifact does, but we believe it may be one of the oldest objects in existence. What Seele may intend to do with it if they ever obtained it, we do not know."

"So is it here?" Soryu said, sitting up in her chair a little, "That bastard wasn't lying then?"

The Professor sighed, looking at the floor in contemplation. If she went through with what she was thinking of doing, she'd technically be breaking a few confidentiality rules. _'Best not to do that,'_ Ritsuko thought.

"…I can't tell you that."

"But you said!" Asuka was about to get snippy with the adult before Shinji intervened.

"Look, Asuka. She said she can't tell us. She'd probably get in a lot of trouble if she did."

"Well, it's not like she _didn't_! That was a pretty long pause, if you ask me. It was basically a silent admission!"

"Um, I'm right here, you two…" Ritsuko sweat-dropped, not appreciating being talked about in the third person. Things were spiraling out of control now, thanks to the girl; it was time that the Professor ended this. "Look, it's getting late now so you two should probably head on home. I'll be happy to answer any other questions of yours tomorrow, okay?"

"Fine…" Asuka grumbled, "But no avoiding answers then, you got it?"

"As long as they're not confidential."

"Why you…" Luckily, Shinji managed to grab Asuka by the arm and pull her out of the lab. The boy waved goodbye to the Professor as the automatic doors closed behind him and their Pokémon, who scurried behind them. He waited a minute or so for the girl to calm down before preparing to walk home.

"You're not going to storm back in there and throw a fit, are you?" Ikari asked, as if he were a parent questioning their child. Soryu responded by grabbing his shirt collar and violently shaking him.

"Just when did you think you could start scolding me, huh, Baka Shinji?" To Asuka's surprise, the boy was not begging for her to let go: he was laughing at her! "What're you laughing at, smartass?!"

"I- It's nothing!" Shinji gasped, wiping his eyes, "It's just, after all that chaos from earlier, I never thought we'd be back to normal like this. I was afraid we wouldn't make it out alive if my mom didn't show up. Now, I'm just glad we're both okay, Asuka."

The girl looked at his stupid smiling face (why did she have to like it when he smiled!) for a lingering moment before letting him go. Before she could say a word a voice hollered from afar.

"Yo, Prof!" Toji and Kensuke were waving at the pair from underneath a streetlight with fishing poles in hand. The Bulbasaur and Oshawott they had faced earlier in battle were by their feet as well. "Why don't you an' yer wife there come down ta da lake wit us before sunset, an' get all dat dangerous stuff outta our heads?"

"I promise we won't get attacked again like earlier!" Aida added.

Shinji and Asuka shared a quick glance.

"Well?" the girl said, "I'm not going with those idiots by myself, if that's what you're thinking."

Shinji just smiled back at her, as if she knew why. "Even if I didn't go, you wouldn't be alone anyways." He and Asuka both looked down at Riolu and Torchic, who were ready to follow them anywhere. The former Pokémon jumped and latched onto Ikari's back.

'**I've never been fishing before,'** Riolu admitted to Shinji, **'Is it a fun experience?'**

'_You bet, buddy. Now let's go have some fun.'_

As Shinji and Riolu went ahead, Asuka picked Torchic up in her arms and watched the boy walk away from her. Fearing a bear hug as gruesome as he had experienced earlier, the Fire type was surprised by a gentle, tender hug from his trainer. Torchic emanated a warm heat from his feathers while Asuka blushed ever so slightly before running to catch up with her closest friend.

"Stupid, stupid Baka Shinji…"

* * *

Somewhere far, far away in the mountainous area of Avia, 16 figures stood in a black room, each behind a podium. The red accented lights from above cast their varying shadows across the floor in a line of ghoulish silhouettes. The shadows lie in front of a wall embedded with a huge computer screen, in which the image of a cryptic eyed triangle sat dead center.

"STATUS REPORT." An emotionless, robotic voice announced from seemingly out of nowhere. On command, one of the 16 figures stepped out from behind his podium and into the center of the floor. He was tall and thin, with long spindly arms and was seemingly wearing a suit of pure black armor. His back was hunched, and his almost S shaped neck ended with a head covered by a sinister, reptilian like mask.

"Agent Number 3, Sachiel, failed to acquire Artifact 316," the figure stated in a deep, rasping voice, "Not long afterwards, all communication between us and him was severed."

"Intentionally?" one of the figures with a woman's voice asked, "I find it hard to believe that he would willingly refuse to contact us, being one of most loyal members."

"Iruel provided us with the intercepted wireless activity of his communicator; it had been deactivated on the spot by him. Since he was able to receive that information, the device is still functional, just deactivated. I suspect him of going AWOL to avoid returning empty handed and the subsequent punishment."

"Can Iruel confirm this?" someone with a youthful, almost angelic voice spoke up, issuing his query to the technology expert in question, "There's no need to bicker if the man himself cannot back it up with proof."

"I can indeed, _yes_," the nasally Iruel responded, "I can pull the records up in a moment's need if required, _yes_."

"Sachiel is no coward, that's for sure…" the figure beside the one with a woman's voice started. His voice was somewhat laid back and carefree.

"…But his pride and ego are too big to allow failure," another with an incredibly deep voice finished from across the floor, "However, should action be taken against him in such a hectic time? Is hunting down a rebel more important than securing Artifact 316?"

The lean figure standing center turned to the deep voiced agent. "Would you prefer him to be captured and our information be leaked to the government or worse, _NERV_?"

"ENOUGH." The robotic voice of the computer interrupted the brewing debate, "ARGUMENT IS ILLOGICAL. NOW RELAYING DIRECT MESSAGE FROM HEAD COMMANDER."

The 16 figures froze in place, their eyes set intently on the screen. None of them bar one knew who exactly the Head Commander of Seele was, but all followed his orders without question.

"This is the Commander," a distorted voice message was being played by the computer, "There is to be a momentary halt on the acquisition of the Artifact. This hiatus will stay in place until Agent Number 3 Sachiel is retrieved, dead or alive. I am handing over full power of the operation over to Agent Number 13, Bardiel. Any and all questions against this will be ignored and passed over. _Meeting dismissed_."

The computer screen then turned back to the logo of Seele, falling silent. As the agents shuffled quietly out of the room, one stayed behind, standing in the room alone and surrounded by the empty podiums. Beneath his black, reptilian mask Bardiel smirked and let out a dark chuckle.

Just as planned…

* * *

**Next Stage:**

_A New Dawn, A New Adventure!_

_Shinji and Asuka's Journey Begins!_


	6. Stage 6: Action and Reaction

**Quick chapter release this time! I had fun writing this one, especially the opening scene. **

**I also edited a scene in Chapter 4 a bit after a helpful reviewer's advice. Nothing drastic, just toned down Shinji's inner monologue a bit. So check that out if you want!**

**Oh, and reviews are always appreciated! Since this story is in such a small niche, having lots of reviews might hopefully gain it a little more attention.**

* * *

The moon was shining like a beacon in the night sky above the endless pine forests north of Merganser Town. Pokémon of all kinds were nestled in their dens, sleeping away their troubles. The nocturnal denizens, however, were wide awake and carrying out their nightly activities. The flashing tail glows of Volbeat and Illumise were sprinkled throughout the trees, while flocks of Zubat fluttered out of their caves and above the forest canopy.

A lone Noctowl sat perched in a tree intently watching the forest floor for any small prey, be it a scurrying Patrat or a tasty Bug type. Its eyes soon caught sight of something moving down below, something big and fast. The shadow was soon followed by three other identical ones, running as a pack, and then another four shapes, different ones the Noctowl recognized as humans.

Or, so it thought.

These shadows dashing through the undergrowth were not human, but humanoid drones of Team Seele known specifically as EVA (Elite Volatile Assaulters) of the Production Series 0.3-8. Capable of strategic analysis without direct command and semi-sentient by design, most Seele drones were given a sole Pokémon matched up with their Production series; this particular run was collectively known as the Houndoom regiment. A violent and unpredictable group, they were usually assigned to dangerous missions that called for body counts, not AWOL retrieval ones. However, the agent in charge of them currently insisted on using them and refused to be denied access to the regiment.

Their black, red chromed armor blending in perfectly with the shadows of the trees and armed with laser rifles, the EVA ran behind their Houndoom who had caught the scent of their target and were currently in pursuit. The Dark-Fire type hellhounds snarled as they dashed over fallen logs and rocks, snorting smoke from their noses.

In the sky above, the agent in charge of the squad watched from atop his aerial mount, the black and yellow beast withering its snake-like body as it sat mid-air over the earth. A beep began emitting from the side of the agent's mask: the EVA captain was contacting him.

"We've found a trail," the 0.3-8 series captain responded, "The Houndoom should be reaching its location soon."

"Relay your coordinates," the agent answered, "Do not take action until I arrive."

"Yes, sir."

Bardiel smirked as he closed the line. One of the first members of the organization, the armored agent was one of Team Seele's most skilled and ruthless soldiers, especially when it came to hunting. Bardiel was willing to take lives if the situation called for it, be those lives of Pokémon or lives of humans. In fact he preferred it that way: in his eyes, those who are imperfect and weak do not deserve the gift of life.

"Coordinates received," Bardiel muttered as numbers appeared before his eyes through the yellow tinted lenses of his mask. Reaching forward, he grabbed his mount by one of its pronged horns and pulled. "Rayquaza, descend. It's time to _start living_."

With a hiss the legendary Dragon type twisted down towards the Earth, gliding over the tips of the pines as wild Pokémon flew away in fear of the awesome beast. In a matter of moments Rayquaza delivered Bardiel to the location of their prey: an old overgrown cabin, located in a small forest clearing. The EVA drones and their Houndoom had flanked the large building, the former with rifles pointed and ready to fire.

"_Do not fire!_" Bardiel ordered, the drones obeying, "We're doing this the _fun way_."

"Understood, sir," the EVA captain knew all too well what the agent meant by 'the fun way'. Turning to his squad mates and the Houndoom, the drone pointed towards the cabin. "Smog the building!"

The four Houndoom howled and pounced forward, breaking the already cracked glass of the abandoned hut before releasing a thick, purple haze from their jaws through the openings. It didn't take long for the inside of the cabin to fill up with the poisonous gas. The EVA drones called for their Pokémon to retreat back as two units rushed forward with blinking devices in their hands, quickly placing the detonators on opposite sides of the cabin. Once the explosives were in place, the drone captain and the other EVA unit each pulled two flash grenades from their belts and tossed them through the broken windows. Three seconds later…

"_Shield your optics!" _

_***KRAK! - KRAK! - KRAK!***_

The flash grenades exploded into a flurry of strobe lights, enough to induce a seizure by just a glance even through the thick purple haze within. Atop the Rayquaza and staring straight up into the night sky, Bardiel smiled darkly as he placed his finger on the trigger for the detonators.

"Come out and play, you cowardly rat."

_***BOOM! - BOOM!***_

Pieces of wood and stone were sent flying as the explosives engulfed the sides of the cabin. The EVA units and their Houndoom dove out of the way and narrowly missed being struck by the flaming debris. Through the smoke, fire and smog, Bardiel managed to see a shadow crawling out of the ground through a hatch in the floor of the demolished cabin.

"Clever bastard was in the basement!" the agent growled, contacting the EVA captain through his communicator, "_Target sighted!_ Disregard the orders to bring him in alive! _Shoot to kill!_"

The EVA captain pointed into the flames as his squad members and their Pokémon turned to him. "Attack! Bring the target down!"

Snarling and drooling at the mouth, the four Houndoom began shooting Flame Bursts into the inferno as their owners opened fire with their laser rifles. As the flames grew higher, they began to spread onto the trees around the ruined cabin. A huge pillar of smoke could be seen from miles away rising out of the forest, sure to attract the attention of the authorities; something that Bardiel quickly realized.

"_Hold fire!_" the agent ordered, pulling a Pokéball from his waist, "Target has fled into the woods; I will continue the pursuit. Turn all attention to dowsing these flames. We don't need a forest fire on our hands."

"Yes, sir!"

Bardiel tossed the Pokéball off Rayquaza, the sphere opening mid-air. From it came a black, long-legged frog Pokémon that landed on the ground below in a ninja like position. Its red tongue, wrapped around its neck like a scarf, wiggled in the wind as it looked up at its devious owner.

"Greninja," Bardiel pointed into the forest, "You know what to do."

The Dark-Water type nodded before dashing into the woods, its black skin merging with the shadows as it pursued its master's prey.

* * *

'_How had things come to this?!'_

Sachiel was almost out of breath as he ran for his life, jumping over rocks and avoiding the trunks of pines concealed by the darkness. The worst day of his life had reached its climax; first, he had failed in Merganser Town and lost his precious Tyranitar, shortly followed by his communicator jamming up not even an hour later. And now his fellow Team Seele members were hunting him for suspicion of AWOL!

'_Damn them… Damn them all!'_

He had no way of returning to headquarters now; even if he did somehow make it back to where his stealth shuttle had been sitting south of town it would probably already have been confiscated by authorities. In a sense he was basically trapped in a position of desertion, a punishment that resulted in…

_*SNICKT!*_

"Huh?" Sachiel looked around worriedly. The forest around him seemed empty without a Pokémon in sight. Where had that sound come from? Was it a bullet? No, he would've heard gun fire as well. Laser fire? Couldn't be; what he heard didn't even sound similar to that. Then what was it? What-

_*SNICKT! __**– THRUNK!***_

"_Gahhgh!"_

Sachiel plummeted to the ground in mid stride, skidding across the twigs and dirt of the undergrowth. His leg was searing with pain, intense pain! He reached down with his hand to grasp it, only to find out _it wasn't there._

"_Ah_- _AHH!_" the agent shrieked, crawling back on his hands, "_My leg! MY LEG!"_

In his panicked state Sachiel didn't even see the shape emerging from the shadow of a tree, exiting its Shadow Sneak attack. The black frog Pokémon leapt towards him in a spiraling jump, generating a fast spinning Water Shuriken between its webbed hands, ready to throw the cutting liquid through its target's arm this time.

"Gre- Greninja?!" Sachiel knew of only one man who owned a shiny Pokémon of this type, and it immediately froze his blood cold. _"I- It couldn't be…!"_

"Hold, Greninja!" a voice called from above. Sachiel looked up in horror to see a shiny Rayquaza hovering over the trees, its owner jumping off its back. The descending figure dug his hands into the bark of a pine, skidding down the side to slow his fall. He landed on the forest floor with a thud, cracking his neck before approaching his wounded prey. "He's _mine_ now."

"_Bardiel!_" Sachiel wheezed, propping his one legged body on a fallen log behind him, "What is the meaning of this? I…"

"_Shut up_," Bardiel snarled, placing a heavy foot on the wounded agent's chest. He dug his heel between Sachiel's ribcage, twisting and turning it to amplify the pain. "You think you can just run away from failure? From Team Seele? _From me?"_

Bardiel cocked his arm as metal pieces began to form from his armor, producing a sleek, curved serrated blade. The 13th agent ran the edge of the heated blade down Sachiel's mask, leaving a singed line down its center.

"The world does not need imperfection, Sachiel. All that wasted opportunity takes away from those who are perfect beings. And you, the failure that you are, are just a placeholder for a new life to be born, one whose existence will mean much more than yours."

"Your personal beliefs…" Sachiel coughed, "I cannot comprehend… how the commander allowed you to join our ranks…"

"I watched your battle against Yui Ikari on spycam, and I saw how you tried to kill those children when you had no other options left. Unlike you and the rest of the agents, I am ruthless enough to do whatever I must to succeed at any time, even if it means murder… _or sabotage_…"

"What…?" Then, in the face of death, realization hit Sachiel like a brick. "_You!_ _You bastard! You_ disabled my communicator! How did you…?!"

"Iruel does his job well," Bardiel sneered, "It pays to be in league with someone of his technological savvy. And promotions are hard to come by as well. Killing traitors makes for an easy path to one. Now… _Any last words_, my old friend?"

Sachiel fell silent for a moment before looking Bardiel dead in the eyes.

"_Long live… Team Seele…"_

_*SHUNK!*_

Greninja turned his head as his master dealt the killing stab to Sachiel. A crunching sound could be heard as Bardiel twisted the blade and pulled it out of the target. The armored agent kicked the body from its slumped position on the log to the ground before walking away back towards the burning cabin, returning his Pokémon back to their Pokéballs.

"Loyalty to the end," Bardiel muttered, flicking the blood of Sachiel off his blade, "_How revolting_…"

* * *

"Have fun, Shinji!"

Oblivious to the assassination mission that happened in the pine forest last night, Shinji Ikari waved goodbye to his mother as he left his house for town, Riolu by his side. It was quite the beautiful day, with the sun shining and Hoppip flocks gliding gently over the fields behind his home.

'_**Your mother is a nice lady,'**_ Riolu told Shinji as they traveled down the same path the boy had taken yesterday, _'__**First she saves us from certain danger, then the next morning she cooks us a delicious meal.'**_

'_Well, of course she would,' _Shinji smiled, _'She is my mom, after all.'_

'_**My mom never did that… I guess she didn't know how to make waffles.'**_

Ikari chuckled at his young Pokémon's innocence as they continued down the trail. Before long they reached Merganser Town, where to their surprise Asuka and Torchic were waiting underneath the Dragonair arch for them.

"Took you long enough, Baka Shinji!" the redhead snapped, "You know how I hate waiting!"

"You… were waiting for me?" Shinji asked, puzzled, "You could've just went to the lab and asked the Professor what you wanted to. I wouldn't have minded."

Asuka folded her arms in a huff. "You just don't get it do you, Baka Shinji?"

"What did _I_ do?!"

"_Nothing_, that's what! Now come on, we've already wasted _enough_ time."

The girl stormed off with Torchic close at her heels. Shrugging at Riolu, Shinji quickly followed after her down Main Street towards Akagi's lab.

* * *

"Are you sure you're okay with this?... _Positively?_... Okay, then. He should be here any minute now. I'll call you back once he gives his answer... Take care, Yui."

_*CLICK!*_

Ritsuko Akagi hung up the phone and laid back in her revolving chair, spinning it with her toes. She had gotten the call late last night from the higher ups, telling her what was to be done with Artifact 316 now that Seele had gone on the offensive. News reports were all over the T.V of the mysterious explosions in the pine forests last night, and of how a body was uncovered not even a mile away. Ritsuko knew that the body was that of the Seele agent who attacked the town yesterday; NERV officials had identified it in secret before it was taken away by investigators.

Needless to say, Ritsuko thought the Commander's plan was insane. But to disobey an order from the Commander himself… well, that was just plain illogical.

"Good morning, Professor!" As if on cue, Shinji and Asuka walked into the laboratory. Seeing the children, Liepard dashed past Ritsuko and greeted them, rubbing up against Ikari.

"Asuka, Shinji," Akagi smiled, standing up from her chair, "I'm glad you're here. There's something I'd like you two to do for me."

"Getting straight to the point, huh?" Soryu folded her arms, "What about the questions we had for you?"

"Those will have to wait," the Professor approached a large safe hidden in the back corner of the room and entered the passcode. The heavy metal door opened with a hiss as cold air spewed from the inside. Ritsuko pulled out a glass case containing something wrapped in cloth. "I'm afraid something urgent has come up."

"What's in the box?" Shinji asked, pointing at the object in question.

"I'd like you to deliver this for me," Akagi said, ignoring Ikari's question completely as she dug out two bags from a closet, "I figured since you'd be starting your journey today, I might as well have you run this errand for me."

"Our journey?" Shinji questioned again, only for Asuka to butt in his spotlight.

"Hold on, hold on!" the girl snapped, "You think we're just your little messengers?! If you need something delivered why don't you use a Delibird or something?"

"I would, but sadly the only Pokémon I own is Liepard here. Besides, this package needs to be in human hands."

Torchic took offense from the Professor's last statement and fluffed up his feathers menacingly. **'Is there something wrong with **_**Pokémon hands**_**, lady?!'**

'**Just let it go,'** Riolu rolled his eyes, dragging the Fire type away, '**This isn't our business.'**

'_**Everything is my business!"**_

"So…" Shinji said, half distracted by the squabbling Pokémon, "Where do you want us to take this to?"

"Hoatzin City. It's about a day or two away from here by foot, but there's a small town located about halfway in between with a hotel you two can stay at. Once you get there, take it to the Museum of Natural History and they'll deal with the rest."

"You're forgetting one thing," Asuka raised a finger at Ritsuko, "What if we say _no?_"

"Come on, Asuka, you don't have to be rude about it."

"Shut it, Baka Shinji! Like I said before, we're not her messengers!"

Knowing that she could easily convince the girl, the Professor faked a hurt look. "Oh, you don't want to go… That's a shame; I guess I'll have to give these _Pokéballs_ to somebody else..."

"You're damn right you'll…" the girl froze mid-sentence, "…_Pokéballs, _you say?"

"Yup," the Professor opened up one of the backpacks (a red one, intentionally) to reveal at least a dozen of the red capturing devices sitting at the bottom, "Perfect for capturing more Pokémon. Only the most _amateur_ trainers would pass up an opportunity like this."

'_I'm no amateur,'_ Asuka thought to herself, _'And she knows damn well I won't take an insult like that in front of anybody, __**even**__ Baka Shinji. Using my pride against me, I see… Well played, Professor. Well played.'_

"…Fine." Soryu answered, snatching the bag from Akagi and slung it over her back. She grabbed the other one off the desk and chucked it at Shinji's chest, almost knocking him over. "You're lucky this backpack is red, Professor."

"I guess I am, aren't I?"

"_Grrr…"_ Asuka barred her teeth in anger, "Come on, Torchic! _We're leaving!_" Shinji watched as the redhead and her Pokémon stomped out of the doorway and sighed.

"Sorry about Asuka," he apologized to Ritsuko, "She's just… well, you know her."

"I suppose her reaction would be normal from some viewpoints. I'm surprised you didn't try and refuse yourself."

"Well," Shinji looked to the side, "My mom might be worried about me, not knowing where I'm going and all…"

"Oh, she knows."

"Huh? How?"

"I called her right before you and Asuka arrived. She said it was fine by her and that you could use the excitement and get to see the world a little."

"She did?" Ikari smiled slightly; it was just like mom to push him into things like that. She wanted him to be like she was, and explore the world with Pokémon. _'Well then, I guess I can't back down now. Besides, I'm just delivering a message. It's not like I have to __**save the world**__ or anything.'_

"Don't worry then, Professor. Asuka and I'll get this... _thing_ here delivered on time. You can count on us!"

"Good luck to you, Shinji," Akagi handed over the black case to Shinji, who placed it inside his bag. She then pulled out a slip of paper from her lab coat. "If you ever need help, call this number here on your Pokégear ASAP. _Got it?_"

"_Got it."_ Ikari nodded back, a confident smile on his face.

Ritsuko sat back down in her chair as Shinji left the lab. Liepard slinked up beside her and laid its head in her lap, waiting to be stroked. The Professor pleased her Pokémon and grabbed her cup of coffee off the desk, taking a big, long drink of the caffeine.

'_I really hope you know what you're doing with this, Commander Ikari…'_

* * *

"Hello? Mom?"

Asuka was leaning against the exit arches of Merganser Town impatiently tapping her foot as Shinji called his mother on his Pokégear to say goodbye. _'Such a momma's boy,'_ she thought, _'But it is kinda nice that he cares about her enough to say goodbye. Maybe I should tell Auntie the same thing? … Nah, I'll let Akagi tell her.'_

"Shinji, dear!" Yui happily answered on the other end. She was in the kitchen with Stoutland having just finished the breakfast dishes and was now baking a cake for later that night when her friends arrived for a little get together. While she turned away and left the room to talk the big dog-like Pokémon decided to try and snag the bag of icing sitting at the edge of the counter and have himself a sweet feast. Before he could even get close, Yui snapped her fingers and wagged a finger at him. Stoutland pouted a little before walking away in shame. "So… What's up?"

"I think you know why I'm calling Mom," Shinji scratched the back of his head, "There's no need to pretend that you don't."

"I see. So, are you going then?"

"Yeah, me and Asuka both. I'm not sure how long we'll be gone, so I just called to say goodbye, that's all."

"I'm glad that you did…" Yui smiled to herself, feeling tears beginning to build. She paused for a moment to sniff. "Just… You and Asuka stay safe, okay? Train hard with your Pokémon so you can protect yourselves if you need to. Don't make me worry about you."

"I won't Mom," Shinji wiped his eyes as they started to water, "I'll make you proud."

"You know how much I love you, right?"

"I love you too, Mom… Well, I think it's time we get going. I'll… I'll see you soon."

"Goodbye, Shinji."

"Bye… Mom."

_*BEEP*_

Ikari left his finger on the button that ended the call for a few lingering seconds. Letting out a sad sigh, the boy turned to Asuka and was surprised to catch her wiping the corner of her eye.

"Are… Are you _crying?"_

Startled by his claim, Soryu sniffed once before putting on an angry face. "_O-Of course not, Baka Shinji!_ Now hurry up, let's get this stupid errand done with!" She quickly stormed off, Torchic scurrying after her.

'**She was crying, Shinji,'** Riolu confirmed to his master, **'I didn't think she was capable of doing so, to be honest.'**

'Neither did I, buddy,' Shinji answered mentally, 'I wonder what else we'll discover on this adventure?"

Riolu smiled at his master. **'There's only one way to find out.'**

And with that, Shinji and Riolu left the gates of Merganser Town behind Asuka and Torchic, the adventure of their lifetime beginning. What they did not know, however, was that the errand they were running would lead to events that could possibly change, _or destroy_, the world as they knew it…

* * *

**Next Stage:**

_To Hoatzin City!_

_The Transport of Artifact 316 Initiated!_


End file.
